Shaky Ground
by Vovo
Summary: Sometimes he missed the movements of the seas, but somehow he found that the land wasn't as still as he first thought.Gan NingxLing Tong. Yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Dynasty Warriors and its characters are not mine, they belong to Koei. I'm not making any profit from writing this, I'm just a poor ficwriter.

**Pairing****: **Gan Ning x Ling Tong**.**

**Genres: **Romance, Humor, Angst, Drama, Adventure.

**Warnings:**Yaoi, Lemon.

**Beta:** Xian Ke (thank you for helping me so much!)

**A/N****: **I only played Dynasty Warriors 6: Special, so the story and characters will be based on this version of the game.

**Summary:**Sometimes he missed the movements of the seas, but somehow he found that the land wasn't as still as he first thought.

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**Shaky Ground**

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**Chapter 1**

The sun was high and the blue sky was clear. A moment of peace, looking at the horizon, languidly savoring his wine. It could have been a sweet memory if the moment hadn't been interrupted. The young warrior had been called to a special meeting with the high officers of Wu, a meeting that concerned him in particular. Lu Meng had informed him in person and accompanied him all the way to the conference room. He was talking like everything was the same, but sometimes a grave expression could betray the man's cheerful mood and his smile would falter a little.

Everyone was already gathered in the room and they all turned their heads when they saw his arrival.

Ling Tong arched a fine eyebrow.

What now?

"We've been waiting for you. Please, have a seat." Sun Quan stood to greet him and pointed to a place at the table. He then sat again, a somber expression appearing on his face. "You know that you are one of the most valuable of our men."

Something was definitely wrong.

_They will demote me! Oh no, can it be?_

"But I really do all I can to serve you, my lord."

"Yes! I have no doubt about it!"

"Is there something wrong with my last battle? I swear I did my best..."

"Of course, I'm very pleased with the results."

"But, you see, I had to leave that base to reinforce the front line."

"Ling Tong, please, listen to me. Don't think that what I have to say makes me doubt any of your abilities. On the contrary, I ask you because I know you won't disappoint me. I have such trust in your loyalty for the kingdom of Wu that I haveto ask you to..."

_He'll __send me to a horrible place with no dancers and wine. I knew he was wondering who was gonna look after that base we took last time..._

"Ling Tong," Lu Meng spoke. "We'll have a new officer, one that will certainly help in the battle for our kingdom."

_Oh, no, __they really will demote me! __This is getting serious__—__I mean, really serious. There's nothing that can be worse than that._

"And... Why should it concern me in particular?" Ling Tong said, exasperated; he looked around in his frustration before returning his gaze directly to his superiors. "I am and always will be loyal to this land, no matter what, and I've always served this kingdom with great honor and respect, so I think I deserve a clear answer. I will face anything you have to tell me."

"Great words." Lu Meng clapped his hands together and patted the young man's shoulder. "This is what I expected to hear from you."

"Gan Ning will be our new officer," Sun Quan finally said.

"Gan Ning?" Ling Tong yelled. "What..." He put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "This is not possible. Is this some kind of a cruel joke?"

"His skills will be needed in the battles. With him on our side, we'll surely win." Lu Meng said. "I know it's difficult to accept that, and only a man with great honor could..."

"I can't acceptd this." Ling Tong put his hands on the table. "Lord Sun Quan, I beg you, think more carefully about it. It's not just for me, but how can we trust a man who changes sides so easily? He's not worth it to be one of our men. He's just a reckless killer, not a warrior_—_no, not a warrior of Wu."

"Ling Tong," Lu Meng called his attention. "This matter had been discussed previously. We consider him worth it to be on our side, and his skills are much too valuable to ignore. Now, your duty is to accept this."

"I..." Ling Tong looked down and whispered. "What would my father say if I accepted this situation..."

"He would be proud of you." Sun Quan said. "I remember him as a man whose greatest wish was to fight for the land of Wu. He would be proud of your honor and loyalty. I... I would be proud of you."

_Father... what should I do? If only you were here..._

xxx

They had been talking for a while, walking at the docks. That was a place where Gan Ning felt at home, the wooden planks, the ships parked and the breeze of the sea, the salt and humid air of his beloved sea.

"Are you listening to me?" Lu Men asked.

Gan Ning looked around. The southern land of Wu was truly beautiful. There was something special about the place. The nature seemed to be more inspired in painting the mountains and trees and hills with a vast range of colors. It was autumn so the red and yellow leaves carpeted the streets near the docks.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm listening."

Rules, Code, Morale, Chaos, Victory, Honor, Justice, Horses, Fire, Strategy, Lu Meng's discourse was about some of these things.

Gan Ning felt the planks creaking under his footsteps and looked back at the boats. They were coming and then going. He missed it, the time when he was younger and went from one place to another by sea. Everyday something new, always adventures. But then, the land could also provide some adventures. Other kinds of adventures. Battles. Different battles at land. It could be fun working for Wu. Maybe there would be a challenge worth his time. A good opponent. His fingers curled into fists subconsciously.

Then he noticed a figure approaching and his fingers uncurled. He was tall and walked swiftly, with some kind of elegance in his movements. Gan Ning could tell he was no ordinary man, by his clothes and his body language. When he stopped in front of him, he didn't look up or down, he just stared directly to his eyes.

"Gan Ning..."

_Wow__, he__ has a deep stare. _

He stared back at the dark brown eyes with the same intensity.

"This is Ling Tong," Lu Meng said.

The ex-pirate watched the beginning of a frown being formed on the attractive face.

"Er... Gan Ning..."

"What?" The man asked, suddenly aware that Lu Meng was calling his name.

"I said, this is Ling Tong."

"Ahh... Nice to meet ya." He greeted and finally stopped staring at Ling Tong's eyes, travelling his gaze over the officer's body, without realizing he was doing so.

The man only grunted a response before taking a deep breath.

"He's the son of the honorable Ling Cao," Lu Meng reminded the ex-pirate.

"Who?" Gan Ning snapped out of his reverie.

Lu Meng cleared his throat. "Ling Cao, our brave Wu officer who passed away in the battle of Xia Kou."

"Oh... the guy I killed."

Soon after it, Gan Ning felt his face being pushed abruptly to the side as a blunt end of a weapon hit him his face. He parted his lips as the stingy pain flared in his flesh and he felt blood drip from his mouth. The ex-pirate spat the red liquid before he could choke on it and felt the rage burning all over his body. He stared at his attacker with fire in his eyes and landed his fist on the beautiful face.

Ling Tong fell behind with the force of the punch, hitting the ground ungraciously. Then he felt a weight pinning him as he struggled to have his hands freed.

Gan Ning succeeded on restraining the other man for 5 long seconds before feeling a sharp pain in his stomach and rolling on his side over the ground. He gasped for air as it was knocked out of his lungs. But his fury charged quickly again and he stood with a death wish.

"You're so gonna pay!"

"Enough, you two!" Lu Meng stood between them. They were still glaring angrily at each other, but neither of them dared to disobey the older man's order. Lu Meng gripped Ling Tong's arms and tried to lead him far from the ex-pirate. "Let's go."

"I'll kill you one day! You just wait!" the long-haired man shouted.

"Why don't you try it now? C'mon, I'm right here!"

"Gan Ning! Just stay away from here!" Lu Meng tried to put some sense in the young man's head. "I'll talk to you later," he said before leading Ling Tong to a peaceful narrow street.

"Did you see what a savage he is? I can't believe you thought he could be useful."

"Calm down, the anger will pass."

"Anger? I hate that man. I don't know how you convinced me to go talk to him. And look what happened..." Ling Tong felt his face sting with pain.

"You can do this, for the sake of Wu. I know you are reasonable enough to see you have to work together until this chaos is over."

"Yeah, I can see it, but someone can't. But..." Ling Tong started to walk. "...As you said, I'll tolerate his presence until the war is over, what will happen next is another story." He looked back at Lu Meng. "I can remain civil. If someone does, even though I'm almost sure it's impossible." Ling Tong frowned. Then he walked away.

Lu Meng sighed in relief. At least it seemed like there wouldn't be any casualties among the Wu officers that day.

xxx

"What happened to you? Haven't we talked about it before? Didn't I say that you had to be civil with Ling Tong?" Lu Meng found the ex-pirate at a hill near the docks.

Gan Ning had his arms crossed over his chest. "What? You saw it_—_it was him who started! He just hit me for nothing!"

"Oh, the way you talked about his father wasn't respectful." The man crossed his arms.

"I didn't say anything... Well, the guy is dead, what can I do now?"

"Have you no sense to know that it's a very delicate matter for someone who lost a parent?"

"How should I know? I don't know about these family things. Well, yeah, I know it's sad and all, but... How should I know the guy was his son?"

"Because I told you before..." Lu Meng slapped the back of the young man's head. "Haven't you listened to what I've said at all?"

Gan Ning scratched the back of his head. "Hum... Not in details, but I grasped the overall meaning." He looked over the horizon again. The day was ending and dim stars started to appear over the purple sky. The ships sailed lazily, swimming gracefully on the deep blue waters... And the cool breeze coming from the sea... How he longed to be sailing again. "I think I was too distracted with some thoughts... You know..." He looked briefly at the older man. "I'm excited about the battles. When will we start? What about the ships?"

Lu Meng shook his head. "Soon. Soon we'll fight Cao Cao's forces—and this we will discuss better in a meeting. But, what is concerning me now is you and Ling Tong."

"That guy again..." Gan Ning put his hands on his hips. "I can bear him if he doesn't try to kill me!"

"Remember that you'll have to work with him. Just try to leave him alone and don't provoke him..."

"But I didn't..." Gan Ning sighed. "Fine. I won't provoke him..."

_Unless I think he deserves it. _

xxx

It was late afternoon and the soldiers were waiting for the battle that would be starting at any moment. Cao Cao's impressive fleet was surrounding the bay, waiting for the right time to attack. Men were apprehensive in Wu camp, running from side to side, preparing themselves. Gan Ning was excited as he watched the sun rays melting in the horizon, making his eyes reflect the golden color. Soon the battle would come. He couldn't wait to invade Cao Cao's ships and do what he did best. However, he would have to wait. Wu and Shu were working together and part of their plan was to delay Wei's attack for as long as possible, until Zhuge Liang succeeded on his prayer and the wind turned to their advantage.

Gan Ning sighed. He didn't like to wait. His eyes roamed the Wu men on ships, and he could see without great effort the shadows of Cao Cao's fleet. The enemy had an advantage in numbers so it was better the plan worked. Moving his gaze around some more, he saw a known figure riding on a horse at a distance.

With all the people to look at, why did his eyes land on that man?

As if something told the young officer he was being watched, Ling Tong turned to look exactly at the ex-pirate's direction. Although the dark-haired man knew it was the last sun rays shining from behind that warrior, it seemed like Gan Ning had an aura around him, an energy emanating from him, something that attracted the other officer's gaze. And the ex-pirate kept that strong stance, like a predator who watched his pray and could attack at any time. He had blond hair that could have a golden reflection in the sun or near a fire, and his face held an expression like those who had strength. His arms were covered with tattoos and his strong body was protected by a shining red armor. And the bells, his signature, moved on his hips as he walked. But the thing that kept more of Ling Tong's attention was still his gaze: it was like a fire danced in his irises, like they could hypnotize a pray and make it burn with the intensity of the blaze. He was definitely a dangerous man. And Ling Tong could be excited to battle on his side...

_If I didn't hate him so__ much..._

xxx

It was already late at night and he could see the Wei ships advancing at a distance, he could hear the sounds of war, the battle was near. Gan Ning was ready in his post, at a base far away from Ling Tong, and even with the distance and the proximity of the battle, he kept thinking about the young officer... He didn't know exactly why. It could be anger, he thought, but then he even felt a little excited thinking about the man. He wanted to be near him to see him fighting; it made him curious. He was young, but it seemed like he already held great respect between his comrades, and it appeared that he was destined to climb in his career as an officer. Deep inside, Gan Ning felt a little envious. He wanted to be recognized too; he wanted to show his value.

And the men at his command had the opportunity to see how he fiercefully killed the Wei soldiers when they came. He slashed them with his dual knives with ease and headed to their commander in a few seconds, the motion sometimes too fast to discern. And the Wu soldiers watched, astonished as he moved forward, and it was difficult to keep up with his pace.

That was the way he fought, fiercely and fast, getting the enemy by surprise. He wanted to lead Huang Gai quickly and see the Wei ships burn.

_Wi__ll it take much longer for that Shu lazy bastard to finish his magic windy trick?_

When Gan Ning's eyes finally saw the flames consuming the wooden ships, his heart thundered in his chest. It was amazing to see the red and yellow spreading in the dark of the night. He rushed to reach the damaged fleet. It could be a feast. Maybe he could break his record of enemies defeated.

The first Wei soldiers that got near him ignored his presence and jumped into the water, running from the fire. He let them go only to laugh at their despair; the expression on the guy's faces, it was so funny. The others didn't have the same luck and were greeted by his sharp blades. The morale of his men was high and they cheered at every enemy down. It was a great night.

And then he saw allied forces nearing. The soldiers in red uniform also reached the same boat Ning's troop were in. And there was him, swinging his sanjiegun, and making men fall at his feet.

"You're late for the party!" Gan Ning shouted.

The brunet's head turned to look at the source of the voice. His eyes narrowed sensing a challenge in those words.

"Oh, you are wrong! The party's just started!" Ling Tong shouted and made his way towards the other warrior, cleaning the path of wounded enemies with ease.

Gan Ning smiled, seeing him approaching. He watched his swift moves, the way he could attack several soldiers in a fast pace, almost as fast as his own.

"Do you think you can keep up with me?" the blond asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Ling Tong advanced to the other ship. "I think it's you who's falling behind!"

Gan Ning watched the man run in front of him and then ran too, reaching the next ship, his heart racing with even more vigor. It was amazing, everything he liked: ships, fire and a challenge.

They fought with intensity, competing to prove who was the best, creating massive damage on the weakened troops. Soon they reached the main ship and quickly swept the enemy forces until they conquered the place.

The soldiers cheered as Cao Cao fled. And then the other Wu officers also reached the place. Zhou Yu was very impressed with the show of strength that was laid before his eyes and Lu Meng had no words to express his amazement.

"I see you made it here before me." Zhou Yu smiled. "Well done."

"Master Zhou Yu." Ling Tong bowed slightly.

"Now that the battle is over, let's go celebrate!" Gan Ning threw his knives in the air and the men cheered.

Everyone could see the impact he had on the troops. They were completely dominated by his aura. It was clear he had a great potential in leading men, Lu Meng concluded.

Ling Tong frowned.

Suddenly, a messenger came running desperately.

"Cao Cao's forces have been seen heading towards Wu main camp!"

That alarmed everyone. All Wu troops went back to the main camp. And it was incredible to see that Gan Ning's men were leading the way, eager to fight for their leader and win the battle. Even though Cao Cao was almost reaching Sun Quan personal troops, he was stopped by Wu's new officer. The Wei leader had to stop his advance and fight, so it was easier for the rest of the Wu officers to reach him. Then he had no other choice but withdraw.

Sun Quan had been alarmed by the comotion he saw at a distance, he knew that the battle had been near his camp. But then he heard the cheering of the Wu troops and his heart was relieved.

Surely a party would be held that night.

xxx

Several torches illuminated the Wu camp. Everywhere, soldiers were celebrating. Music and laughter could be heard.

"Seeing the battle closely, what do you think?" Sun Quan was in his tent, watching his men partying.

"It wasn't a mistake to make Gan Ning a Wu officer," Lu Meng answered. "He is strong and fast. The enemy didn't even have time to think before he got them. And the men, you had to see their enthusiasm. His troops fought with such vigor, inspired by his incredible ability. Even my men were getting affected by the enthusiasm. This man surely is destined for leadership."

"Great." Sun Quan stared at Lu Meng. "It was as I thought." He smiled, sipped his drink and then looked at Zhou Yu. "I bet you have an idea on how to make use of his qualities in the next battles."

"In fact, I do, Lord Sun Quan." He gazed towards a certain tent. "I saw the battle and at first I couldn't believe my eyes, but Gan Ning and Ling Tong work well together."

Sun Quan arched an eyebrown. "The last I heard of them, they were trying to kill each other. Did their relationship improve that much?"

Lu Meng laughed. "Oh, for sure, they are more focused on killing the enemy now. But I guess they are doing this just to compete. But you see, they have a great destructive power working together."

"I see." Sun Quan liked the news.

"But I think we can use a better strategy," Zhou Yu said. "We can use their forces to attack by surprise from opposite sides, trapping the enemy in the middle when they are already worn out by the battle."

"Yes, this is good too." Sun Quan looked at his great commander. "You always have the best advice; no wonder Sun Ce trusted you so much."

Zhou Yu remained silent for a moment. "I..." It wasn't like himself to be at a loss for words. "I always think the best for the kingdom of Wu. And I will serve you with the same loyalty I've served Lord Sun Ce. I wish that when I'm no longer useful for you, my Lord, I'll be going to rest my soul at Lord Sun Ce's side. But that... will have to wait a little longer." He smiled sadly. "I think I'll go see what those two are doing."

Lu Meng laughed. "Yeah, make sure they don't jump drunkly at each other's throats, that would be bad for the battle plans!"

"Definitely." Sun Quan concluded.

xxx

Ling Tong watched as everyone paid attention to

_the__ pirate's boasting._

Gan Ning talked and talked about Wei soldiers jumping into the water. And then more and more men gathered around him, praising him, excited to hear more details of his fighting. The only ones who came to talk to Ling Tong were Lu Meng and Zhou Yu...who talked more about Gan Ning's abilities...

Ling Tong drank some more and decided to call it a day. He could no longer bear the party. The young man left the tent and headed to his own. He felt the cool night air and the beginning of a clarity on the sky, soon the light of the day would hit the camp. It was definitely time to rest.

When he was almost near his tent, he heard someone following and...

_Fucking bells. _

"I liked the way you fought." Gan Ning said.

Ling Tong took a deep breath and turned to face the ex-pirate.

"It wasn't as good as the way I fight, but it's still good."

"Oh, thank you for coming here and giving me the pleasure of having your attention, oh Great Master Gan Ning. Should I bow at your feet?"

"Hey, I don't like the tone you're using." Gan Ning pointed a finger. "I came here in peace and now you treat me like this."

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt your feelings?"

"I told the old man I was trying to be civil, but you're the one that always starts it. If you want a fight, let's do it. C'mon, let's finish it already."

Ling Tong felt the urge to chop that head off his body, but he controlled himself. He couldn't go so low, he made a promise. "Gan Ning..."

The ex-pirate ears were attentive to what the other Wu officer would say.

"I'm not in the mood." Then the young man turned and entered his tent.

Gan Ning stayed there wide eyed. He had been so excited thinking about a fight with Ling Tong, to test the man's abilities; it could have been so good.

_Damn. _

The man scratched the back of his neck and headed back. What could he do? Invade the other's tent?

_Nah..._

Ling Tong rested on his bed, but his mind kept working. He couldn't stop thinking about the battle, the way he and Gan Ning fought together on Cao Cao's ships. It was like he'd never fought with such vigor before. Of course, he always gave the best he could, but that night... it had been different. He couldn't lose to that bastard, even if he was on the same side... Ah... The presence of the ex-pirate evoked bitterness in his heart. He had to bear with him around, without being able to take his revenge, controlling himself. That suffocated him. Even more seeing that Gan Ning was a great fighter, if he were weak... it could have been more bearable. But he was amazing and Ling Tong recognized it... and admired it. If not for the past, he could express his admiration and engage in a friendship, but Gan Ning's presence felt like a slap on his face.

_For how long can I resist?_

xxx

Once again another victory. And Ling Tong watched as Gan Ning attracted the attention of even more Wu soldiers. He recognized that the pirate had fought well... but it seemed like people thought the victory was due to him alone, and that wasn't true. There were several factors that helped Wu conquest and most of the army did well.

Lint Tong sighed.

_What can I do?_

He stretched lazily. Finally they would have some well deserved rest at home... but not before a great party was held. It seemed like everyone was in a good mood. He wished he could be so happy, too.

_But hey, tonight there will be a great party. Great food, great drink and... pretty dancers. Oh, why not celebrate?_

xxx

The palace was decorated with vivid colors and all corridors had several torches lit. Gan Ning was walking through the halls and was received as a king. He really enjoyed the attention. And he could savor the cheerful mood of the people—they were all talking excitedly. And the smell of incenses and food and the drinks... it was such a wonderful sensation.

"Master Gan Ning."

The man turned in the smooth voice's direction. There was a boy dressed in fine red silk. Although he had an innocent face, he had a clever stare, like there was an incredible amount of knowledge hidden behind the brown orbs.

"Hey!" Gan Ning said.

"I was very impressed with what I saw at the battlefield, you are really great!"

It was very nice to see the boy's enthusiasm. "It's good to hear it, boy."

"I'm very excited about using your abilities in my plan."

Oh, yeah, then Gan Ning remembered who the boy was... the strategist. "Oh, don't disappoint me, give me a good position in the front lines, I'll do the rest."

Lu Xun smiled. "I'll try."

Gan Ning smiled too. Wow, that boy's smile could warm anyone's heart.

_Oh man..._

He scratched the back of his head. The boy was too pretty for his own good.

"Oh, there you are!"

They turned to their sovereign's direction.

"Master Sun Quan." Lu Xun bowed.

"Why aren't you at the party yet?"

"Oh, sir, if it's an order, I'll go party right away!" Gan Ning toasted and headed to the party's direction. "But I hope you join us too, sir!"

Sun Quan smiled. "Of course I'll be there!"

"And you too, boy, don't be shy and come with us."

Lu Xun blushed. He was always so sure of himself, but why did that man always made him remember he was still so young? He was so honored to be at the side of the great men of Wu. So hard did he try to prove himself worthy to be there. And finally he was one of them. They were all more experienced than him, and it made him feel nervous, but he tried not to show it.

"I'll be there in a moment!" Lu Xun shouted at the man who was walking excitedly to the main hall's direction.

"What do you think of him?" Sun Quan asked.

"He's a great man! I admire him!"

The sovereign smiled ant put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I see you are excited to work with him!"

"Yes I am, my lord." He looked at his superior. "With him and the great Wu officers. I'm very honored to work at Lu Meng's side, too."

"You can learn a lot from him. He is one of the officers I trust the most."

"I see, my lord." Lu Xun smiled and walked in the direction of an open area. The full moon was high in the sky and the way was lit by big decorative torches. The flames waved in the night's breeze and the boy's eyes reflected the fire blaze. He loved that element so much. The power it had to spread and consume everything in its way, but there, it danced languidly, beautifully. "I'm so glad to fight on the side of Wu, it makes me feel so honored."

"I know you'll do a great job." Sun Quan admired the serene aura that emanated from the boy. He was calm, but yet, he held a strength deep in his soul. Like that fire that illuminated their path. It was moving gently, but held an incredible power.

"I'll do my best."

"But now, let's go back inside."

"Oh, yes, sir! The party!"

Sun Quan chukled softly. "Yes, the party. Did you forget?"

"Oh... no... sir..." Lu Xun blushed. The boy followed his superior through the corridors inside the palace. The place was full of noise, of music, of laughter. Servants were running everywhere with food trays and serving drinks.

Lu Xun walked more in the hall and saw a very pretty girl offer him wine. He grabbed the goblet with a trembling hand and smiled thanks to her. He wasn't used to drinking; it always made him light headed, but proudly he took a sip and felt his cheeks instantaneously burn with heat.

Gan Ning watched the boy drinking awkwardly from a distance and smiled. He was having a great time. Everywhere he went, men praised him and women smiled at him. He was served the best food, the most succulent meat and the freshest fruit. And the drinks, they were very good, very different from the low quality ones he used to drink in his time as a pirate. He had a specially good wine in hand and he wanted to enjoy it before going back to the other pleasures in the party; there were so many things to do before his night ended. Maybe he could find a beauty to spend some time with him, it had been a while since he got laid. Being in army had this problem. Well, he couldn't say that it was better in a ship sailing over the seas either. It disfavoured sex all the same.

But he was in a party in the palace at the moment. Plenty of opportunities, it was just a matter of choosing his goal. It wasn't like there would be many who could deny him. Looking around, he saw a great number of possibilities. Lots of pretty faces everywhere. But one problem was that most of them had ugly important men gathered around as well.

Walking some more, he found a particularly interesting spot. It was a little hidden place, and he could hear soft music and giggles. There was a group of incredibly beautiful dancers, moving gracefully with the melody. Their silk clothes waved in the air in colorful moves. The place had a fine decoration, with rich furniture and delicate porcelain. It was a very good sight for his eyes. But there was a little detail that could be a problem. The guy that had sworn to kill him one day was there, too, sitting relaxed, resting against fluffy, colorful cushions. He wore a red robe made of a fine fabric that laid gently over his body. Gan Ning was thrilled for a moment; he could not avert his gaze.

That was definetely a problem.

But then he had two options: staying or going. And he would never be a man to back away. So he walked proudly in the room and sat at Ling Tong's side.

The brunet looked at his side and couldn't believe in what his eyes were seeying. Was it really that pirate?

"What are you doing here?" he asked incredulously.

"Enjoying the party." He looked at the dancer's direction.

"There aren't other places for you to enjoy the party?" he asked with annoyance.

"Yes, but here I have a privileged view." He averted his eyes from the dancers and looked beside him, before he could think.

Ling Tong stared back with a surprised expression. But then he smelled alcohol from the man's mouth, which was very close to his face, and sighed. "Whatever..."

_This guy is drunk._

"Why are you here and not with the other guys?" Gan Ning asked.

"I see them all the time, I thought I could enjoy this moment with some other company, if you know what I mean."

"That was exactly what I was thinking." Gan Ning agreed.

"..." Ling Tong drank a little more. "I hope you find someone soon."

_And leave me alone._

"Yeah, but later, I still have time." Gan Ning adjusted his body to the cushions, resting lazily over the soft material.

_Oh,__ what can I do?_

"Look, that one is looking at you"

"Yeah?" Gan Ning opened his eyes. "Which one?"

"The one on the left."

"Woah, she's hot. But I prefer the one on the right. Look how her boobs move."

"It seems like they have a will of their own."

Gan Ning laughed. "Yeah, man. I'd love to drown on that mounts." He looked more at the women. "Oh, you were thinking about keeping this treasure all to yourself?"

"What? Can you blame me?"

"I guess not." Gan Ning smiled. It wasn't that bad spending time with the guy after all. Up that close he could smell him, and he smelled really good for a man. Gan Ning laughed. He was drunk.

Ling Tong saw the other man smiling cheerfully and rolled his eyes. "What?"

"Nothing." The blond showed his pointy canines, smiling like a shark.

The brunet shrugged and took a sip of his drink.

Gan Ning watched intently as the lips touched the surface of the cup and the liquid flowed into his mouth. "It seems like it tastes good," he said in a breathy tone.

Ling Tong glimpsed carefully at his side. That damn pirate was too close. He could feel his hot skin touch his and it sent a shiver down his spine.

"Well." The brunet stood up. "I think I should be going."

"So soon?" Gan Ning asked in disappointment.

"Yeah, I guess I drank too much."

"But the party is not over yet! Come back here!" Gan Ning yelled.

"I'm just tired, I guess..." He walked through the corridors. There was something wrong in talking with Gan Ning. He felt guilty for forgetting for a moment about what happened in the past.

"Okay..." The ex-pirate answered to the air, looking at nothing. "You come here if you change your mind..."

x

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**To be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **Dynasty Warriors and its characters are not mine, they belong to Koei. I'm not making any profit from writing this, I'm just a poor ficwriter.

**Beta:** Xian Ke (She writes really well, you should read her stories).

**A/N:** I think that some errors happen when I try to upload the text file, sometimes two different words are merged into one... Sorry if it's happening...

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**Shaky Ground**

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**Chapter 2**

The sky was full of white clouds and the breeze was cool against his skin. Gan Ning could see the Wu soldiers standing in formation, creating red lines over the field. He was at a hill and he could have a good view of the battlefield, the bases and the strategic points. He would have to head northeast and make a surprise attack there. Ling Tong could approach from the southwest, from the opposite side.

_Why am I thinking about it right now?_

There were many other things he could think of. Several of other officers he could think of.

_But not as good looking as him._

Gan Ning wanted to slap himself. Where had that thought come from?

He gave words of incentive for the men and guided his horse to a place where he had to wait in position.

It didn't take long before the battle started. He could hear the shouts and the drums commanding the rhythm of the battle. He paced in anxiety, feeling the rush of adrenaline in his veins. Nothing could make him feel so alive as a battlefield. And Gan Ning was so eager to fight, he couldn't wait anymore. The hell with the plan, he wanted to bathe his blades in enemie's blood and feel the sweet taste of victory soon. He could see the astonished expression of the enemy troops with the surprise attacks. It was too easy sometimes. He crashed the enemy defences and teared their morale apart.

One unit down, he hungered for the next battle.

Seeing the next troop, he headed directly to their leader, maybe he could offer him some challenge. Landing several attacks, Gan Ning could see that the big man was better than the average soldier, but he was still slow, and soon he saw the attack that sent him to his own bloody death. With his demise, his men instantaneously fled.

The base was his, Gan Ning thought.

If he followed the schedule, he would have to remain in proximity, guarding the post and helping the nearby allied forces if necessary.

It wasn't what he did.

Gan Ning moved forward and continued on his slaughter, quickly sending men to their death. Nothing could stand in his way.

He ran and ran across the battlefield, until he found a familiar face. It seemed like Ling Tong was having a little problem dealing with that side of the battlefield. Enemy reinforcements had arrived by then and the young officer had to face the attack from both sides, alone with his troops.

"Hey, watch your back!" Gan Ning yelled.

Ling Tong turned just in time to defend the attack. He blocked the sword and then kicked the weapon out of the enemy's hand, beating him to defeat.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in surprise; after all, the warrior was supposed to be fighting on the other side.

"Came here to see you getting your ass kicked!"

"What? You bastard!" Ling Tong started to fight with even more vitality.

Gan Ning dismounted his horse and ran to the other officer's side. "But you know what? I can't let anyone kick your ass before I do."

"Like you ever could..."

Gan Ning smiled and fought happily, enjoying the sensation of the battle. When he was like this, there was no pain, there was no fear.

Ling Tong couldn't say it out loud, but he was relieved to see the warrior fighting by his side. It seemed as if Gan Ning had brought a new energy to the dark-haired officer and his soldiers.

"You're gonna stand here gaping? Come on!" Gan Ning ran when he vanquished the forces at the place.

"I can't lose to him!" He ran after the ex-pirate and fought with all his might. He fought until there was no enemy left standing.

When the battle was over, the Wu men cheered. They had been victorious one more time.

"Well done!" Lu Meng approached them. He patted their backs and looked around. "I was watching you two fighting, it seems like you're doing quite well together."

"What? Me and this guy? He only stands in the way," Ling Tong said.

"What did you say? It was you who needed my help, if I didn't..."

"Okay, okay, you two, that's enough."

"Yeah, I don't wanna hear anymore of this guy, he annoys me to no end." Ling Tong walked to the camp's direction.

"You..." Gan Ning stepped in the direction that the other officer had gone, but was stopped by Lu Meng.

"Let him go."

"You see how he treats me! I tried to help him and look how he thanks me!"

"Gan Ning, you know you better leave him alone."

"But..."

"Don't insist." Lu Meng mounted his horse. "Better hurry to the camp and prepare things to go back home... or do you want to stay here in the battlefield with the crows and the dead bodies?"

"Yeah, I'll pass it. It's starting to stink."

xxx

Wu men left their camp and headed back with news of the victory. Sun Quan was very satisfied to hear about the battle and he decided it was time to give his men some rest before the next advances. So they would have some free days to enjoy as they wished.

Gan Ning was watching the quiet night, looking at the sky from his room's balcony. He could see the stars shimmering sweetly and hear the crickets singing their mating songs.

It was depressing him.

He left his room and walked through the silent corridors of the palace. What did all those people do during their nights? Sleep?

Walking around a little more, he found a door.

He stared at it.

And then stared at it again.

"..."

He finally knocked on the door.

"What?" answered a tired voice from behind the wooden surface.

Gan Ning knocked again.

_Com'on, bastard, answer it._

Ling Tong opened the door slowly and frowned when he saw a blond ex-pirate grinning in the corridor. He thought about closing the door on his face, but he knew that it would only give him more headaches later.

"What do you want?"

"Doing something right now?" Gan Ning asked.

"I was reading."

"You, reading?"

"Why the surprise? Do you think a warrior has to be dumb?" Ling Tong asked in annoyance.

"Reading what?"

"Poetry."

Gan Ning started laughing.

"..." Ling Tong rolled his eyes. "Did you come here to make fun of me?"

"No... It's just... I didn't know you were the type..."

"Whatever..." Ling Tong turned to his room again.

"Wait..." Gan Ning prevented him from closing the door. "I was wondering if you wanna drink with me."

"Me? Why me?" The man asked incredulously.

"Well, you seem like the only officer who enjoys this blessed pleasure... as much as I do."

"Are you telling me I drink too much?"

"Uh, yes."

Ling Tong groaned.

"From what I saw from the last parties. You sure look like you like to be wasted."

"You..." Ling Tong started to answer, but stopped... That was true anyway, what could he say? "Okay, where are we going?"

"I knew you wouldn't let me down on this one." Gan Ning patted his back in a friendly gesture, unaware of his strength, knocking the air out of Ling Tong's lungs. "Hey, are you okay, man?" The ex-pirate saw the other officer coughing.

"Yeah... fine," he hissed.

"I just know this place with the best booze around..."

xxx

"Is this the great place you talked about?"

Ling Tong looked around. The paint on the walls was fading, and the furniture looked like it would crumble at any moment. There was a strong odor of alcohol and sweaty bodies from the men drinking, and those men... they looked awfully terrible to say the least.

"Well, I know it doesn't look great, but I found the best booze of this region; believe me, it's a speciality of the house, something with rice and fruit and other things."

"These 'other things' really makes me worried."

"Ahh, come here." Gan Ning sat at a table and motioned for the other officer to take a seat.

Ling Tong moved slowly, regretting to have agreed on going to the place. He sat carefully and saw the ex-pirate order the 'special' drinks.

"So, for how long have you been under Wu command?"

The man arched an eyebrow at the blond's question. What was that? Talking like he wanted to know him. "Well, for some years by now, I guess, almost ten years; I asked to join their forces soon after..." He stopped for a moment. "Soon after my father passed away."

_Ohhh..._ Gan Ning looked around and whistled nervously. "Long time." He nodded.

"Yeah... I've been an officer since then."

"You were really young. Well, you don't seem old."

"I was 15."

"Yeah, you were young, but by that time I was already in action for some years."

"You were a pirate."

"Yeah, it was fun for a while. Crazy times, we could do everything!"

"You had no morals."

"Well, no. But then I was young. I know how to be loyal now..."

And then their drinks arrived.

"I guess I have no choice..." Ling Tong looked at his cup.

"What? Afraid of a little drink? I thought you were stronger than that."

"What? I am..." He sighed and swallowed the bitter liquid. His throat burned and he felt dizzy for a while, but then... "Oh... it's..."

"Good, huh?" Gan Ning swallowed all the contents in his cup.

Ling Tong drank more. It was like nothing he had ever tasted before. It started off bitter but then it was all wonderful after.

"Hum, you liked it." Gan Ning grinned.

"It's not bad..."

Then Gan Ning asked for another round.

And another round.

And another round.

And there were so many rounds that both their heads were spinning. They were talking and laughing like they were the best friends in the world. And the once horrible place had become the coolest place in the world.

Soon Gan Ning and Ling Tong left their seats and started singing with the men in the table nearby; then they started playing cards in the next one; and after it, they danced with incredibly ugly prostitutes, though soon the two officers escaped their arms to sing again with some men. Then—with no reason why—they were rolling over the grass fields outside the bar.

When the officers were tired of rolling around, they stood up and started to run on a road; naked. They had arrived at a river and jumped into the cold waters.

And after all their laughing, Ling Tong decided to kill Gan Ning.

It didn't help the fact that he tried to drown the other man in a place where the water didn't even reach one foot deep. Gan Ning chocked on water and tried to escape the man above him, with no avail, but he managed to not die.

"Hey, man! Calm down! I'm on your side now!"

"Oh..." Ling Tong stopped and tried to regain his breath.

Then he laughed hard.

"What?" Gan Ning arched one eyebrow and inspected the man's happy face.

"It was a long time since... Since I felt so young."

It wasn't like he never had times to relax and do things he enjoyed, but being a high-ranking officer gave him so much responsibility that he didn't have much time to go out and do the stupid things young men usually do.

"Ah, I know what you mean. It's been a while since I found someone who's not old and grumpy to hang out with." Gan Ning looked up and admired the features of the man above him. He felt so good lying there with his body pressed against the other in those waters. He saw the water drops rolling over Ling Tong's skin, and he felt the urge to lick it. But soon he felt the loss of the other body pressed to his and almost groaned in frustration.

"You know, you're right. People around us are so serious." Ling Tong stood up. "I wonder if that kid does other things than studying strategy."

"Lu Xun is the youngest of us and he acts like a man twice his age." Gan Ning stood up. "It's cute, but it's irritating at the same time."

"Cute?" Ling Tong arched one eyebrow, never imagining to hear the word coming from Gan Ning.

"What? Don't you think he's cute?"

"Hum..." Ling Tong sighed. "I guess..."

"Well, let's go then."

Gan Ning started to look for his clothes and Ling Tong could see all the extension of the tattoos that were hidden under the armor. They travelled from his arms and up to his chest, covering a good part of it. He also could see the man's well defined muscles moving as he walked. He should feel ashamed of looking so indiscreetly, but he had drunk so much that he didn't care.

"What? Are you checking me out?" The blond man tried to sound humoured, but his tone had sounded a little deeper than he liked.

"No," Ling Tong lied shamelessly.

"Ah..." Gan Ning answered.

"You know, I was thinking." Ling Tong started to look for his clothes too. "I never saw Boyan without that serious face, or a calm smile."

"Guess we need to change that." Gan Ning grinned.

xxx

"What are you doing awake in these late hours?" Lu Meng asked when he saw a light on one of the rooms of the palace.

Lu Xun was sitting at a table, with several scriptures in front of him. "I... I was thinking, master Lu Meng, if I did something wrong in my plans."

"Why do you say that?"

The boy had a concerned expression. "I planned for master Gan Ning to stay at a point in the battlefield, but in the end, he was at another place."

"And didn't we win the battle anyway?"

"Yes, master, and that's the point. I'm very glad that we have achieved victory, but maybe I had to plan another strategy for Gan Ning."

"Yours was a good strategy, you did nothing wrong and it was Gan Ning who disobeyed the orders."

"But he saw it necessary to..."

"I don't know if he saw it that necessary to cross the entire battlefield because he thought his presence was needed. I think he was reckless and didn't think about the consequences of his action... for our luck it turned to our favor. But one can't trust luck alone. That's why we need brilliant minds to think of an effective strategy."

"I'd be really happy if I became one good strategist one day."

"You already are, young man!" Lu Meng was relieved to see the concerned expression on the boy's face soften a little. "You have not awakened your full potential, but you're definitely on the path, so... don't worry too much right now. Go to your room and have a good rest."

And so Lu Xun followed the older man's advice. He was sleeping peacefully in his bed, in his silk robe; his skin was illuminated by the moonlight and his face showed a peaceful expression... that changed when something wet hit him.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" The poor boy yelled.

"Happy birthday!" The two drunk men cheered in unison.

Lu Xun realized that two high officers had snuck into his room and threw a jar of water on him. "Why did you do that?" He had an incredulous expression on his face. "And it's not my birthday... and... and... Throwing water is not a way to celebrate someone's birthday!"

"I just made it up now." Gan Ning grinned proudly.

"It was a good idea, I might say," Ling Tong complemented.

Lu Xun stood up and felt the wet silk sliding off his skin, blushing instantaneously.

Gan Ning smiled. "We're gonna take you to your birthday party."

"What? I'm not going anywhere! Not like this..."

"Yeah, he's right, Gan Ning. Think about the danger he could be in if he went almost naked and wet walking through the streets at night."

Lu Xun didn't want to think about what that comment might have implied.

"Yeah, get dressed, boy, we're waiting here."

"But I don't wanna go anywhere!"

"Oh, yes, you do." Gan Ning got closer to the boy and restrained him from behind. "Ling Tong, move your lazy ass and pick some clothes for the kid."

"Hey! I'm not a kid!"

Ling Tong laughed. "Oh, yes, you are." He rummaged through the boy's wardrobe and picked an attire he liked. "What do you think of this one, Ning?"

"Perfect!" The man shouted.

"Don't let him escape." Ling Tong moved closer and started to take off the wet clothes the boy was in.

"Hey!" Lu Xun struggled, but Gan Ning was much stronger than him, and all that body pressing against his was making the boy light headed, so he stopped and blushed furiously. He was very conscious of the hard chest pressed against his back, the strong hold of Gan Ning's arms encircling his body, and then Ling Tong hands started to move over his skin to take off his wet clothes... "Stop it! I'll do it! I'll go with you, but let me dress alone!" He wanted to die in shame.

The older officers watched the heart-wrenching scene of Lu Xun helpless and... they smiled.

"Oohh... Okay, but don't cry." Gan Ning grinned.

"I'm not crying!" Lu Xun furiously took the clothes Ling Tong had picked and hid somewhere in the room to get changed.

"Do you think we are being too cruel to the kid?"

"Nah..." Gan Ning answered. "He has to learn the world is more dangerous than he thinks."

"And what does it have to do with clothes?"

"I don't know... In taking off clothes maybe..."

"Okay... I'm ready..." Lu Xun appeared decently dressed to go out. "Where are we going?"

The poor boy's eyes hurt with the scene before him. It was the ugliest place he had ever seen in his life. The other officers had brought him to the same bar they were in earlier.

"You'll drink with us, boy." Gan Ning ordered the drinks.

"But I don't... I don't drink often."

"But that's one thing you have to learn to be a man." He put an arm over his shoulders.

"As I see it... it's not a necessary..."

"Hey, the drinks are here!" Ling Tong informed.

"Alright!" Gan Ning toasted before drinking the entire contents of his cup.

Ling Tong did the same. But Lu Xun just stared at the strange liquid.

"You don't have to be afraid, it's you or it... Do you wanna lose to a drink?" Gan Ning asked.

"No, sir."

"Then take it! In one motion, don't give it the chance to strike back."

"Ning, it's a drink, not an enemy soldier," Ling Tong said.

"Okay..." Lu Xun took a deep breath. "I'll try." He put the cup to his lips, closed his eyes and swallowed... coughing up next.

"Hey, hey, are you alright?" Gan Ning patted the boy's back and he coughed a lot more from the impact.

"Don't kill the boy, Ning!"

"I'm just helping him!"

"No, you're not!"

"Yes, I am!"

"Okay... okay, stop arguing... I'm okay." Lu Xun swallowed the rest of the liquid in one gulp.

Suddenly the entire place seemed to become silent.

Both men looked at the boy expectantly.

Lu Xun blinked a few times, and realized he was still alive.

"It's... it's not that bad."

"I knew he'd like it!" Gan Ning motioned for a woman to bring more.

"But, hey, I think it's enough for now."

"What? Are you refusing my birthday gift? I'm paying for all this!" Gan Ning exclaimed.

"...But I can pay for my drink."

"No, you're not paying! You're drinking!"

"But I prefer paying..."

"You have no right to say no."

"That's a good way to talk to a superior..." Ling Tong rolled his eyes.

"What? It was your idea." Gan Ning looked at the tall officer.

"No, it wasn't!"

"It was your idea too!" Gan Ning got up and pulled Ling Tong by the collar, lifting him from his seat.

"You..." Ling Tong stood up and went around the table to press Gan Ning against a wall.

The blond man stumbled drunkly without resistance. He lifted his head up to look at the angry brown eyes and—lost in the intensity of their glow for a moment—Gan Ning forgot what they have been arguing about.

"Hey, you two... the drinks have arrived," Lu Xun said nervously.

"Ah, it's about time!" Ling Tong eased his hold on Gan Ning and returned to his seat. "I love this thing." He swallowed the liquid happily, forgetting he had been angry the moment before.

Gan Ning remained pressed against the wall for a while longer, thinking about how close he had been to the dark-haired man, before returning to his seat at Lu Xun's side. He saw the boy drinking and the smile returned to his face, but then he noticed the boy staring at a certain direction; a blush appearing at the young officer cheeks. He realized the young strategist was looking at a woman scarcely dressed.

"Tell me what, kid, have you ever been with someone?"

"What?"

"You know, what."

Lu Xun blushed furiously.

"I think you got your answer, Gan Ning." Ling Tong took a sip of his drink. "Leave him be."

"Oh, but don't you think we might help an officer in need?"

"What?" Ling Tong almost chocked on his drink. "What do you mean? We can't do this to him!"

"What are you guys talking about!" Lu Xun wanted to hide somewhere.

"No! I didn't say that! Not us! Hum... I don't know why not, but not us!"

"Ahhh... I see it..." Ling Tong grinned.

"I'll be right back." Gan Ning got up and headed somewhere.

"Where did he go?" Lu Xun asked carefully.

"You just wait for the surprise, Boyan."

And it was a big surprise. Lu Xun was terrified to see the prostitute coming over to him.

"They say she's the best one here." Gan Ning said proudly and dragged the boy along the bar to a room in the back of the establishment.

Lu Xun tried to escape with all his forces, but to no avail.

"You can't leave me here!" Lu Xun yelled when he was thrown on the bed.

"Do you want us to stay?" Gan Ning asked. "To give moral support?"

"I think it's a private moment..." Ling Tong said. "Good luck." And dragged Gan Ning out of the room.

"Nooooooooooooo!" The boy yelled.

"He will thank us later." The blond man said when they returned to their table.

Ling Tong started to laugh hard.

"What?" Gan Ning asked confused.

"If he survives, he'll kill us!"

"Why?"

"She's the ugliest woman I ever saw!"

"She wasn't that ugly..." Gan Ning grinned.

"No, she was not just ugly, she was horrendous."

Gan Ning laughed. "Yeah, maybe she is... but hey, he doesn't need to keep looking at her face to do what he has to do."

"Oh, I don't think I could be that brave."

"I could, but I had to be tottaly drunk."

"You have a very low taste."

"Well, when you're a man of the sea, you don't have much choice. But if I had the choice, of course I'd choose someone gorgeous."

"Like who?"

"I don't know..."

"I bet you wanted to fuck the kid."

"What?" Gan Ning asked surprised.

"You were very happy by his side."

"Oh, I couldn't fuck him even if I wished. He's the chief's boy."

"What? Sun Quan? I don't see anything between them."

"I bet he wants to bring the kid to his bed, and I won't be crazy to touch him when my leader has his eyes on him."

"So you send him to bed with a dirty whore instead."

Gan Ning laughed. "Yes!" What could he do but laugh?

"Oh, man, we're so fucked up"

"I hope he never finds out." Gan Ning's laugh subdued a little. "But you know, even if I'd fuck the boy, it's not him I'm thinking of lately."

"So, who is it?" Ling Tong asked carefully, he didn't know why the statement bothered him.

Gan Ning remained silent for a while, maybe pondering on his words for once in his life.

But then they saw a boy leaving a room and running to the exit of the establishment. Clothes torn and tears on his face.

They went out of the place and found the boy in dismay. "It was horrible."

"You have to be strong, man." Gan Ning put a hand over one of the boy's shoulder.

"Sooner or later it had to happen." Ling Tong tried to comfort his young superior.

"What? Nothing happened."

Both men blinked a few times.

"What did happen?" Ling Tong asked.

"First she took off the cloth covering her breasts and they pumped into the air and then... she buried my face bettween them and I thought I was gonna die for lack of air..."

Gan Ning started to laugh hard. "Good, boy!"

"What?" Lu Xun was confused.

"Our master won't kill us."

"What do you mean?"

Gan Ning stared at Lu Xun's confused eyes with all the seriousness he could in his drunk state. "You'll understand someday... the torment they call love."

x

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**To be continued...**

**A/N: ****The next chapter will have a ****_deeper_**** interaction between Gan Ning and Ling Tong...**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Smut ahead!

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**Shaky Ground**

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**Chapter 3**

Pain coursed all through his body, while Ling Tong's muscles trembled with every effort when he tried to move. His breathing was laboured and his chest seemed heavy. Even opening his eyes was a difficult task. What would happen next? He coughed. Was he going to die?

Ling Tong sneezed.

With great effort he put his feet on the floor and tried to lift himself off the bed. Damn, he needed to eat. The officer took some clothes, pressed the fine silk to his body, and took his time to tie his long hair in a ponytail.

He sighed and then sneezed; his head ached so much.

_It's all his fault..._

He cursed the blond officer mentally all the way outside his room and through the palace corridors, but he eventually resigned to his lack of luck. Not even an enemy officer could keep him knocked out on the bed for a longer time than a cold. Well, he was human afterall, and not immune to the consequences of drinking all night, running around naked and rolling in cold waters.

And then... then he saw the one that provoked all this. He was walking through the corridor in his proud manner and Ling Tong felt the urge to beat him to death. Why did he have to suffer from a cold when the other was walking around happily? It wasn't fair.

The dark-haired officer approached the other warrior and when he was ready to start his verbal fight, the man sneezing loudly. Ling Tong smirked. Gan Ning had a cold too.

"Why are you smiling?" The blond man looked at his fellow officer.

"Nothing..."

"Do you think it's funny?"

"A little."

"You..." Gan Ning moved closer to the other man with steps that resounded through the corridors and an accusatory glare.

Ling Tong was sure the ex-pirate would taunt him, curse him or beat him, but instead he felt himself pressed against the stone walls and kissed on the lips. His eyes were still wide in surprise as he felt Gan Ning's hands cup his face and bring him forward into the kiss.

"What did you do this for...?" Ling Tong asked when he felt the ex-pirate lips stop pressing and just sliding over his.

"I wanted to... I wanted to... pass the cold to you," he said in a whisper.

"But I already have a cold."

_Damn..._

And Gan Ning started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Ling Tong arched one fine eyebrow.

"I don't know... I don't know why I did that," the blond officer said before the silence took over the place. And then they stood there, just breathing in each others proximity, until they were aware that someone was nearby.

Lu Xun was staring wide eyed at the curious scene in front of him. Gan Ning and Ling Tong were strangely close to each other.

"Hey, kid, what are you doing here?" the blond officer asked nervously.

"I'm just... passing by."

"Ah..."

"Hum... Is there something wrong?" Lu Xun could feel the awkwardness of the atmosphere.

"No..." Gan Ning said. "Do you think there is something wrong?"

"Yeah..." Ling Tong brushed the other man aside. "There's nothing wrong here."

"Yeah, definitely nothing's going on here."

"Okay..." Lu Xun kept staring. "Well... I'm going now..." He turned and walked away, still disturbed.

_I'm starting to imagine things..._

"Is there something wrong, boy?"

Lu Xun turned to see a concerned expression on Lu Meng's face. "No! Nothing's wrong, definitely nothing's wrong!"

"Okay, okay, calm down, I'm not accusing you of anything." The man smiled humorously.

"It's just..."

"Just what?" The older man arched one eyebrow.

"I'm just thinking... Well, I don't know... But... You know... Gan Ning and Ling Tong..."

"What are they doing now?" Lu Meng was ready to smack some sense in someone's head.

"Nothing."

"What do you mean?"

"They're doing nothing."

That could be a sign of normality... if it didn't concern those two... "Are they acting strange?"

"Well, sir, they are acting like friends."

Lu Meng blinked a few times. "Are you sure?"

"Well... not friends... but they walk together and... It's more disturbing then when they want to kill each other..."

"I see..." Lu Men scratched his chin in thought.

xxx

Gan Ning was in his room, staring at nothing in particular for a long time.

Then he sighed.

And sneezed.

_Damn cold._

If it wasn't for him rolling on the cold water naked with the son of the guy he killed.

Suddenly a knock was heard at the door and Gan Ning jumped to answer it.

"Ah... it just you, old man..." He felt a slap at the back of his head.

"Stop calling me old man, you brazen pirate!"

Gan Ning grinned. "What's up, Lu Meng, why the worried face?"

"Lu Xun told me you were acting strange."

"Eh? How so?"

"With Ling Tong."

Gan Ning gulped... "Well..."

"Are you two behaving?"

"I swear I'll never drag the kid again to a bar."

"Did you drag Lu Xun to a bar?"

"He wanted to! It wasn't as if he was forced... much."

"And Ling Tong is part of it?"

"Of course, it was his idea!"

Lu Meng stared disapprovingly at the man in front of him... and then laughed. He patted Gan Ning's back and headed to the door. "You were starting to get me worried here. But hey, it seems like you're getting along well."

"Sort of..."

"Well, as long as you don't kill each other..."

_As long as we don't kill each other he says..._

xxx

Ling Tong was feeling better already... He had spent the previous day sleeping for most of it, just waking up to go to the kitchen and eat until he felt completely satisfied. He then went back to his room and slept until the next day.

The day that followed was a rainy one. The constant raindrops lulled him to sleep comfortably on his bed for most of the afternoon. He opened his eyes slowly and saw small raindrops running over the leaves of the plants that were near to his balcony. His brown eyes watched as the gray sky darkened slowly and then he lifted himself off the white blankets. He reached for a red silk robe and warped himself in the fine cloth; he then tied his brown locks and picked an item from a cabinet; all the while Ling Tong had been preparing himself in peaceful sorrow and resignation.

He walked through the silent corridors firmily, with a calm expression, until he reached a certain room and knocked on the door. There was a rushing noise inside and then a man appeared. Gan Ning had his armor and trademark bells off. He just stood there bare chested, looking at him with a bewildered expression.

"I thought you'd like this," Ling Tong said in a calm voice.

Gan Ning's eyes seemed to be lit by a fiery gleam; he looked at the body covered in red silk and them up to the beautiful young man's face.

"Yes, I do." What could he say? The ex-pirate couldn't say he thought the man was ugly because it was exactly the opposite.

Ling Tong thought the gaze over him was so strong that he could feel heat spreading over his body. "Hmm... I was... talking about this." He lifted his right hand to show a bottle.

It took a while for Gan Ning to stop staring unashamedly and snap out of his dreamlike state, finally understanding what the other man was saying. "Oh, you brought me booze with you..."

Oh... Gan Ning's heart melted.

"I was wondering, I had this excellent drink with me for a while and it would be a waste to keep it forever locked. You see, it's something special from my homeland and... I felt like sharing it with someone. You know, it's boring to drink alone. And..." He dared to enter the room. "I just came here because you're the only one who could enjoy it... as much as I do."

Gan Ning closed the door behind them and tried to play it cool too... for a little while. Oh that impressed him. He wouldn't have thought Ling Tong had the guts to come to his room.

Let's see for how long they can keep their façade.

Ling Tong walked around and found a profusion of colors in the room; they almost hurt his eyes. There were valuable shiny objects scattered all around and very expensive furniture placed in a chaotic decoration. No wonder that man loved to walk around with golden bells swinging on his waist. The room made Ling Tong think of a pirate's den, full of treasures. There were decorative lanterns illuminating the room and the air was smoky because of the incense. Ling Tong saw several silk cushions lying on the floor and decided to accommodate himself there. He sat with his back to the balcony door and laid back on the colorful cushions. The dark-haired warrior could feel the cool air of the night entering through the open balcony doors and the warm feeling of the flames of a lantern nearby.

Gan Ning glimpsed at the relaxed form of Ling Tong lying on his floor and looked for goblets to serve their drinks. It wasn't as if he cared much for drinking it directly from the bottle but_…_he figured Ling Tong should like it in a more classy way sometimes, with all that walking around in battles with rings of jade wiggling on his hips.

He came to the other man with two decorated goblets in hand and poured the fine liquid in them. Oh, it smelled great. Even though it wasn't a light and sweet drink, it had such an overwhelming good scent emanating from it, like some fruit and herbs mixed to the alcohol. He handed one goblet to Ling Tong and sat nearby. Not exactly close to him, but at a distance where he could have a good view of the other's body.

They toasted and Gan Ning saw the cheeks of the man in front of him turn red because of the drink. Then the blond officer drank and felt all his body warm up in a good way. Hell, that thing was damn good. He swallowed the rest of it in a quick motion and felt his head get wonderfully dizzy. Ling Tong did the same and looked at him. He extended his hand and asked Gan Ning to fill it again. The blond man complied and also served himself more.

After the second round the ex-pirate felt his body burn with a consuming heat, but he wasn't drunk just yet.

"So..." Gan Ning said and watched Ling Tong play with the fabric of the cushions, tracing the designs with his long fingers. He moved closer to the other man and poured some more of the drink in his goblet. "It tastes good."

"I know." Ling Tong drank more and felt his head spin a little.

Gan Ning swallowed the next round and felt it start affecting him slightly more. He waited until the world stopped spinning before his eyes and then looked at Lint Tong's flushed face. "I wanna taste you."

The man took a while to register the words that reverberated slowly in his ears and arched one fine eyebrow. He realized that Gan Ning's face was dangerously close to his and it didn't take long before he felt a wet tongue running over his right cheek. The blond warrior had been at his left side, so Gan Ning ended up straddling him while he licked his chin, cheeks and temples.

Ling Tong chuckled. "You look like a dog doing that."

Gan Ning grinned briefly before opening the red robe, letting the fabric slide off slightly until some skin was exposed. He then licked the dark-haired man's shoulder, before travelling his tongue to the officer's neck, ending up sucking his earlobe.

Ling Tong encouraged the other man to go on and watched as the ex-pirate opened his sash and let his robe open a little more. Gan Ning scraped his teeth over the ribs and scratched the abs with his nails. Ling Tong moaned and cursed under his breath when he felt a bite on his side. Gan Ning took his time torturing the sensitive spot with his mouth, until he decided to open the pants. Without hesitation he stroked the length of the organ a few times, before sucking the head and then engulfing more of the member in his mouth.

That definitely made Ling Tong's head spin. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation. It was hard for him to try to control the sounds escaping from his mouth as Gan Ning applied just the right amount of pressure over him. It also wasn't too slow or too quick as he bobbed his head over the length. Ling Tong recognized that the man did it pretty well, and if he didn't stop, it wouldn't take long for him to come, so he was very disappointed when he felt the loss of the wet heat around him.

He frowned when Gan Ning grinned.

The man knelt over him, putting one leg at each side of Ling Tong's torso. He reached out for his restrained cock and pressed the hard bulge with a hand, feeling it twitch under his own touch. "I know you'll like it." He freed his member and guided it to the front of Ling Tong's face. "You know you have to give if you want to receive something in return."

Ling Tong looked at the thick cock leaking pre-cum and stared up, faking annoyance. Then he grunted and took just the tip between his lips, before licking the slit just slightly, feeling the other man fight to restrain himself.

"C'mon, baby, do it." He looked down at the dark eyes full of mischief.

The long-haired officer put one hand at each side of Gan Ning's hips to prevent him from forcing his way forward and licked the head languidly.

Gan Ning moaned deeply and put his hands over the other man's shoulders, trying to convince him to go on.

Taking pity on the ex-pirate pleading gaze, Ling Tong let his mouth open to accommodate the needy member. He let the length slide as much as he could, without forcing his gag reflex and sucked slowly.

Gan Ning threw his head back and moaned deeply, closing his eyes. He felt the warmth of the mouth leave him for a moment, before engulfing good part of his member again and sucking good. The next time the mouth moved over him it took more of the length, and then more, almost taking it all. Gan Ning wouldn't mind coming like this, but then he felt a hand at the base of his penis and the mouth moving away.

The ex-pirate looked down and frowned.

"What?" he asked hoarsely.

"Isn't it my turn now?"

"Who said this?" Gan Ning grabbed the back of Ling Tong's head and teased his lips with his cock slightly.

"I said," the man breathed over the tip and sucked it slowly.

_Oh, man..._

Gan Ning wanted to die of regret for complying, before lying on his back over the fluffy cushions. The blond man waited until he felt Ling Tong on top of him, taking one of his nipples between sharp teeth. Gan Ning expected pain, but only felt a long lick, so he moaned deeply in pleasure as his right nipple was being licked and sucked. Then he felt a kiss right in the middle of his chest, before feeling his other nipple being teased by a tongue. In anxiety, Gan Ning grabbed the long brown hair tied and tugged at it slightly, trying to indicate he wished the man's head to move down.

Ling Tong inverted his position and ended up facing Gan Ning's hard on from above, while his was hanging over the ex-pirate's head. He waited until he felt Gan Ning's hand on his cock and only then resumed his sucking. The dark-haired man felt the other officer lick the tip very quickly, before sliding his tongue over the length and then past his balls, until he put each hand on the back of the man's thighs and licked his opening. Ling Tong shivered at the sensation and shivered more when the tongue forced its way in. It was stretching his opening sligtly and it felt so good and warm inside him, but then it was his turn to feel the loss of the other's touch when the man moved and was no longer under him.

Gan Ning inspected his fellow officer completly nude and on all fours and smirked. "It's a very nice position."

Ling Tong sighed in annoyance. "What did I do to end up like this...?"

"Come on, don't tell me you never did it before..." the ex-pirate said with a cocky smile on his face.

"It's been a while..." Ling Tong answered in defeat.

"Yeah?" Gan Ning slid one hand over one of the man's ass cheek. "You seem like you were such a pretty boy. Did the bad men take advantage of you?"

"Fuck you," he said before hissing when feeling a slick finger press him from behind. It was uncomfortable, but not in comparison with the second finger, then the third, and that man had thick fingers that stretched him good. Ling Tong felt them move in and out almost roughly, spreading him and make him curse Gan Ning in his thoughts.

When Ling Tong thought he couldn't be stretched anymore, he felt the fingers retreating and the large head pressing, then entering. It was a little painful at the beginning... and after too. The member moved in and out to advance a little more, until it entered very deeply, retreating all the way afterwards.

Gan Ning moved in slowly, before he started to thrust hard and deep, until he was buried to the hilt, pressing against Ling Tong. And at that point he started to pound into him.

Ling Tong bit his lower lip and cursed, feeling the other officer hands gripping his hips with force while he moved. The huge member was stretching him like nothing ever did. It was painful and shameful and he cursed even more because that damn pirate did it in a way he also enjoyed it. The pain lasted until he forgot about it, due to the intensity of the pleasure he was feeling. And finally there was a moment when Gan Ning came hard, burying himself deeply with a grunt, and Ling Tong came hard too.

Gan Ning retreated and sat on the carpeted floor, his back resting on a chair. He took the bottle that had been forgotten and didn't bother pouring the liquid into a goblet. He drank it directly from the recipient and stared at Ling Tong's lying form over the cushions. The dark-haired officer was looking kind of vulnerable lying naked and exhausted.

"It was good." Gan Ning drank more and scratched the back of his neck. He stared at the man again and travelled his gaze over his body. "You know, I'm thinking of keeping you here as a new treasure for my collection."

Ling Tong turned slowly and faced him with a tired expression on his face. "You can't. What would our Lord think of it?"

"He would let me if he's a kinky bastard."

The long-haired man rolled his eyes. He was starting to feel cold and his muscles felt all sore. To avoid the unpleasant sensation, he asked Gan Ning to bring him a drink. The ex-pirate poured some of it in a goblet and served the man, but in the end, he stumbled drunkly over something, spilling the liquid over Ling Tong's face.

The long-haired general glared in annoyance, while feeling the liquid slide over his cheek and neck, then down his torso. He took the bottle from Gan Ning's hand and gulped a few mouthfuls of the liquid. He drank and drank more, until he was so drunk that he didn't feel any soreness or discomfort, he just dropped his body on the floor and slept.

Gan Ning smiled while watching the scene, then he got to his feet and looked for something to clean the other man from the mess they'd made. The blond man grabbed him up and carried him over his shoulder, dropping him on the bed like a sack of potatoes. He knew that Ling Tong would frown if he heard that he had been manhandled like that, so Gan Ning laid by his side, leaving a mental note to tell him all the details later. He liked so much to annoy him and see him frowning... He liked so much...

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**I hope you liked the sex scene, it's always very hard to write the descriptions. I think I should be ashamed of writing this kind of stuff, but even so, it doesn't stop me from doing it. So, I'd like to know what you think, and I really hope you've enjoyed it because there's more to come... And I have to thank the ones who reviewed and my patient beta, you're so good to me!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Beta-reader: **My dear Kathy (check out her Xian Ke profile), thanks for everything! You should read her stories, she writes so well!

**A/N: **Well, this chapter is a shorter one, with one more of the sex scenes I planned. Then in the next chapter we move on with the story; they finally get out of the bed and there's humor and angst and all these things. I hope you enjoy this little break in their warrior lives!

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**Shaky Ground**

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**Chapter ****4**

Gan Ning woke up in a stormy morning; the clouds were so dark that the weak sun rays couldn't be seem, making the sky almost as dark as during the night. The ex-pirate opened his eyes and closed them again; it was painful to wake up, being sprawled so comfortably over the soft mattress. Last night, he had emptied the bottle Ling Tong had brought... it would be such a waste to leave the drink there, all alone. He had drunk a lot, but not as much as in his days at sea... hmm... the sea... the tempest on the sea, while the only thing one could do was drink and hope the ship wouldn't turn over.

And keep hoping.

Gan Ning turned to his side and saw the back of a lying form on the bed, grinning while remembering

_The best fuck I had lately!_

Was it wrong to feel so excited over a guy who has sworn to kill you?

_Nah._

Then he fell asleep, blissfully, again.

xxx

Gan Ning woke up once more and stretched lazily. The day wasn't so dark as before, but the sky was still covered by white clouds that cried softly over the horizon.

Sighing, he traced the design of the tattoos over his chest with his finger and looked beside him. Ling Tong was still sleeping as if nothing in the world could awake him.

_Well... let's see__ for how long he'll stay like that..._

The man grinned and moved closer to the other naked body. He traced the officer's spine with his wet lips, starting from the lower part, until his mouth reached the dark-haired man's shoulders and neck. While sucking on a particular spot he liked, he looked beside him and grinned over the other officer's skin.

After a while, Ling Tong woke up when he felt constant tugs on his hair. He groaned and turned, and when his eyes opened he saw a blond ex-pirate over him with a colorful hairpin in hand. It was a sight the man never imagined to see; his eyebrows twitched and he realized that not only his fellow officer had untied his hair, but also had put on several hairpins and hair clasps over his brown locks. He lifted the upper part of his body off the mattress and supported himself by his elbows. Ling Tong felt wiggling sounds while moving his head and frowned.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Gan Ning's grin grew wide.

Ling Tong sighed. "Why do you torture me so?" He didn't even wanted to look at himself in the mirror, but he did it unconsciously: several different ornaments were pinned in his hair in a disastrous way, hanging all unbalanced, with a contrasting mix of colors.

"Somehow, I had this box of jewelry in here and I never used it for anything."

"And you think my men will take me seriously if they saw their superior wearing this?"

"Heh, why not?" he chuckled, seeing the terrible result of his work.

"Why didn't you try them on yourself then?"

"I don't look that good with flowery things."

Ling Tong shook his head and started to take off the ornaments, until he was stopped by Gan Ning's grip on his wrists.

"Let me take these godamn things off!"

"Oh, no... you're so cute!" He kissed the angry man's cheek.

"Stop making fun of me!" Ling Tong succeeded on setting one of his hands free and used it on his revenge. He took the hairpin in his fingers and stuck it in the blond locks in an awkward way.

"Ouch!" Gan Ning felt the pointy object stick him and then fall to the mattress.

"Damn..." Ling Tong saw his attempt at fixing the hairpin failing, but then took advantage of Gan Ning's moment of weakness to put some flowery hair clasps on his hair, smiling victoriously.

Gan Ning frowned. "Very funny..."

"Oh, you're so cute." He grinned.

"I know..." Gan Ning sighed in defeat and let Ling Tong decorate his hair in a way that damaged his reputation as a menacing warrior. Then the long-haired man extended his hand, finding a pearl necklace, using it to adorn Gan Ning's neck and chest with the white jewels.

"Now I'm pretty enough for you?" the ex-pirate asked.

Ling Tong smiled while playing with Gan Ning's trademark golden earrings. "Yes." He brought the other officer's face closer and kissed his lips. Then he moved his hands down over the ex-pirate's neck and played with his choker, sliding his fingers in between the leather and caressing the skin underneath. Gan Ning closed his eyes and almost purred. Ling Tong enjoyed the look of bliss on the handsome face of the blond officer and kept travelling his fingers over the warm skin, tracing the tattoos on his arms and massaging his back. He took his time removing the pearl strings off the ex-pirate body and then entwined his fingers in the blond locks, while taking the hair clasps off.

Gan Ning opened his eyes to watch the concentrated expression on the other officer's face, while he removed the ornaments. When Ling Tong finished with Gan Ning's, he started to remove the hairpins off his own hair, making them fall one by one over the mattress. He was almost finished, when Gan Ning made him stop and removed the last ones from his long hair, making the brown locks fall over his shoulder and back. The ex-pirate inspected the way he looked with his hair loose. It seemed soft, so he played with it without the hairpins in the way, cherishing the feeling of entwining the long hair on his fingertips.

Ling Tong warped his arms around Gan Ning's shoulders and brought his body closer to his, feeling guilty because of the way he felt. He embraced the other man tightly and couldn't stop himself from doing so. His eyes closed and he tried to brush aside the thoughts that there was something wrong with everything that was happening between them.

"Why that face?" Gan Ning asked when he saw the saddened expression and kissed the beauty mark below the man's right eye softly.

"I need to go."

Gan Ning grabbed him by the waist. "I can't let you go, I told you I'll keep you as a treasure in my room."

"You do love treasures, don't you?" Ling Tong looked around at the various exquisite objects. "They seem to be valuable."

"I don't care for richness, the important things are the adventures to get them... The treasures are only the reminders of what I've lived."

"I guess you're right in some way. Well..." He stretched. "I think I've been too long on this bed, so..."

"Hm... We still haven't tried the balcony, the table and the armchair."

"All you think about is sex?"

"No. I think of drinking too."

"Oh yeah, sounds like you." Ling Tong smirked playfully as he trailed his fingers down Gan Ning's abdominal muscles, then down his crotch and started to stroke his member slowly. "But I wonder what you like more..."

"I think you have to find out." Gan Ning smiled.

Ling Tong appreciated the sight of the ex-pirate's face in pleasure as he teased his growing organ. He continued the action, until he saw that Gan Ning was too carried away, and so he changed his pace to an agonizing one, enjoying the ex-pirate's complaints. Ling Tong chuckled and waited until he saw a death glare, so he decided to speed up the pace... a little. He played with the rhythm, seeing for how long he could torture Gan Ning that way.

Then he realized the extent of the control he had over that man, and it amazed him; Gan Ning started to look at him in a more desperate way at a certain point, pleading with his eyes to be brought to release.

"Ling Tong..." he hissed warningly.

"What...?" the long-haired man faked an innocent tone.

"Do you enjoy playing with me?" Gan Ning touched his hip with a hand, as a warning.

"Me?" He stared at the fiery eyes. "Yes," he couldn't help but say it, before smirking.

"Be careful with who you play with." Gan Ning stared deeply and leaned over the other man, but then he only kissed Ling Tong lightly on the neck, making him shiver slightly. "I wanna fuck you..." he whispered over his skin.

"Hmm..." Ling Tong considered the idea. He was still sore from what happened the night before. "What do I get in return?"

"Me. Am I not everything you've dreamed of?

Ling Tong stared at him. "You self-centered bastard."

"Okay, okay, I'll give you..." Gan Ning thought for a moment. "A pair of my bells."

From all the things the older officer thought the ex-pirate would say, the answer he received was one he definitely wasn't expecting. "And what will I do with it?"

"You can hang them somewhere, and if one day I'm not here in this world, you can think of me, remember the good sex we had and jerk off."

Ling Tong shook his head.

Gan Ning was getting impatient, so finally grabbed the man and positioned himself, pressing his cock to the man's opening. Ling Tong tried to struggle and scape the strong hold on him, but the blond officer was restraining him with great effort. They fought a little and it only aroused Gan Ning even more because of the friction of their bodies. He then succeeded in entering the tip and Ling Tong winced in pain. The long-haired officer tried to keep still and control himself to receive the rest of the length, seeing he couldn't get away.

"You..." he hissed. "I won't forget it... I will take my revenge on you for that."

Gan Ning chuckled. "Until then you'll be screaming my name. You should thank me." He grabbed the man's thighs and started to penetrate him slowly, trying to make him get used to the sensation without telling him, restraining himself not to fuck him senseless.

The ex-pirate wondered why he had reached that point. Before, sex was sex, not much to think about when you're drunk and horny. He hadn't cared much for his partners, and besides, they seemed to be willing to perform everything he wanted or at least they were too drunk to care. And he had many many partners and never was very selective, well, he could fuck anything human. But then, he never fucked a fellow officer before, and maybe there would be a code somewhere not to abuse your allies to much—he thought_—_but in fact, it wasn't what made him care about the man under him on that bed.

Ling Tong was starting to get used to the feeling and felt his member stirring. He was then getting frustrated with the pace, he needed some more friction.

"This is all you can do? Why don't you move a little faster?"

"Oh, now you're so eager to do it, just what I told you. Well, let's see if you can do it the way you want." He moved out and turned them over. "Or you can plead me to help you."

Ling Tong didn't like to back off a challenge and decided—though he knew he was going to regret it later—to get on top and straddle the man. He lowered himself until he felt the tip pressing. Then he moved down slowly and tried to concentrate on the task of burying himself on Gan Ning's cock. He put his hands over the man's shoulders to help him for support and lowered himself until midway, then he retreated and went back down slowly, repeating the action afterwards. Oh, he was going to regret it later—he thought every time he felt the member going deeper.

Gan Ning was gripping the sheets tightly, letting the man do all the work and trying his best to control himself, but even so, the moves made him thrust up involuntarily. It wasn't the way he used to deal with things, letting the others do the work, but the change wasn't that bad—he thought. Anyway, if he wished, he could make the tables turn again and fuck the other officer as if there was no tomorrow. He let one of his hands move over one of Ling Tong's thigh and the other grab his lover's cock, moving in the same rhythm as the thrusts. It seemed like Ling Tong appreciated it, because he felt like increasing the pace as Gan Ning guided him to full erection. The ex-pirate drank in the sight of Ling Tong impaling himself on his cock, the story that body told him in that state of arousal. It was incredible how Gan Ning could be responsible for the change in the other officer's attitude, from a contained hatred to a deep state of lust and abandon. It was definitely a change for the better.

Almost on the edge of his control, Gan Ning gripped Ling Tong's hip tightly and started to guide his cock up more desperately. His hand kept on moving, while the brunet's cock leaked pre-cum. Ling Tong felt the delicious grip of the hand moving over him, Gan Ning's fingers and thumb driving him crazy, while the cock was so buried in himself it seemed to reach everywhere inside him. And then he finally came in long waves of pleasure, milking his stomach and Gan Ning's hand. Ling Tong was still coming when he felt his body give up and being dragged to the mattress, as Gan Ning inverted their positions again to thrust deep and hard in his body, bringing him along with his moves over the mattress. Ling Tong felt his head bang against the headboards with the last forceful thrust of Gan Ning in his body. The man above him came in such a way he lost conscious of the reality around him for a while, letting a hoarse groan scape his lips while he collapsed on top of his fellow officer.

It had been so intense that they just lay there for a long time, until the awkward position made them separate from each other.

When Gan Ning was finally able to breathe steadily, he looked beside him and smiled contently. He would be extremely happy if he managed to keep Ling Tong as his partner in bed. Somehow, the man turned him on like no one ever could, he didn't know exactly why. It was true that if he had known the man in any other situation he would be willing to share his bed with him, but... it was like their relationship had begun so turbulent that anything they did together was very intense.

Suddenly Gan Ning got up and rummaged through his belongings. Ling Tong still had his eyes closed while he heard the sounds of the man walking in the room. Then he felt something cold on his chest and opened his eyes to take a look.

"There it is, as I promised."

Ling Tong saw a pair of bells rolling over his skin and stopping in the middle of his chest.

"Now you have to do as I told you."

_And think of me._

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**A/N:** Well, of course there's more chapters ahead! Thanks for the reviews, they really encourage an author to keep writing! And I think there's not enough Yaoi fanfictions in this section, so I'm very happy when I see someone adding new stories. There're so many pairings I'd like to see... Of course, these two rivals here are my favorite ones, but I think the game has a lot of possibilities, so I encourage you all to write.


	5. Chapter 5

**Shaky Ground**

**Chapter 5**

Ling Tong was lying lazily on his bed, admiring the blue sky through the window of his bedroom. Soon he would be heading for the next battle, but he wanted to enjoy that peaceful feeling a little more. His fingers played slowly with the pair of bells he received from Gan Ning, making them roll on his bed. After taking his time to stretch, he picked up the bells and hung them by the window. Even after leaving the room and closing the door behind him, he could still hear the bells ringing as the wind made them move from side to side.

He headed to the stable and found his horse waiting for him. He mounted the reddish brown animal and rode to the place where the Wu officers would gather to advance for the next battle.

"It's about time!" Lu Meng said. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, you're waiting here just for me?" Ling Tong asked cheerfully.

"Not you only."

Then they saw a blond officer riding on his horse towards them.

"I'm here!" Gan Ning said. "Now we can all go."

Lu Meng shook his head. "Part of the men are already ahead of us..." He started on his way, being followed by the younger officers.

They rode peacefully and Lu Meng was impressed by the way the two were behaving, just arguing playfully and tauting each other. In no occasion did they try to kill or wound one another.

When the troop made its first stop, Lu Meng found Gan Ning talking to his horse, while the animal drank water from a clear lake.

"I'm glad to see you've listened to what I told you two."

"Ah, it's you, old man." Gan Ning turned.

"Stop calling me old man, I told you already!"

"Yeah, yeah, right."

"So, did you hear what I said?"

"What did you say?"

"..."

"What? Were you talking about me and the horse or me and Ling Tong? But wait... it's almost the same thing... But maybe he's more like a donkey than a horse. Yeah, the horse seems smarter."

"Forget it." Lu Meng turned his back to the young man, defeated. "For a moment I almost thought you were acting friendly, but maybe... maybe I'm too old to discern it, and maybe I was wrong."

"Worried about the next battle and the Zhang Liao thing? Don't worry, me and Ling Tong won't kill each other before it happens."

"You don't hate him, do you?" Lu Meng turned to face Gan Ning again.

"Never said that. Or did I say... Well, you worry too much about us, old man, don't you have other things to think about, like taking care of that Lu Xun kid, what if he's raped by an enemy somewhere, wouldn't it be bad for our troop's morale?"

Lu Meng couldn't suppress a slight chuckle. "Yeah, right, I'd better see where Lu Xun is. He was a little unsure about this battle."

"Afraid the great Zhang Liao and his mustache would come running over the hills towards our Lord Sun Quan himself?"

"That's a possibility. He didn't agree on our plan to take He Fei. He didn't want to come here or let our troops come here, but Lord Sun Quan thinks it's a great opportunity to strike their forces there."

"I don't think anything can go wrong there, we'll win as always, then we'll take He Fei and make a party there, then we go home and celebrate!"

"But it's still wise to be careful."

"If we attack it full force there will be no problem."

"Lord Sun Quan is concerned about this behavior of yours, never listening and just moving ahead recklessly."

"I only do what I think I should do."

"No doubt about it, but you need to have in mind that what you want to do is not always the right thing to do."

"It is for me, it always worked before."

"Just promise me you'll think about what I said."

"Yeah, don't worry, old man." Gan Ning led his horse to a place protected by the sun, below the shadows of the trees, leaving the older officer behind.

"Again with the old man?" Lu Meng shouted, seeing the blond warrior walking away.

Gan Ning grinned and kept walking. His grin widened when he saw a known person standing under a tree, admiring the horizon. He walked swiftly and approached the man from behind, grabbing him by the waist and planting a kiss on the back of his exposed neck. Gan Ning felt the shiver that ran down the man's spine while he pressed his lips to the warm skin. His left arm was warped firmly around Ling Tong's waist, making their bodies touch, while he drove his right hand to the front of the man's neck, bringing him backwards, making his head arch back with the pressure of the hand.

_Is he trying to kill me?_

Ling Tong felt himself almost chocking. He waited for a little while, wondering if the man would stop or he would be forced to hit him to shove him away. And still he felt the lips pressed to the back of his neck.

Then Gan Ning let his grip loose and Ling Tong found the opportunity to turn, warp his arms around the short man's neck and kiss him passionately. Gan Ning let him part his lips and play with his mouth. He felt the brunet's tongue tease his, touching it slightly before retreating and then repeating the move. The ex-pirate did the same until he deepened the kiss, taking Ling Tong's mouth in a possessive way. He explored all he could with his tongue and then came back to the places to claim them as his own.

When they parted, Gan Ning had a smug grin on his face.

"Do you think that sneaking from behind is a proper way to approach a fellow officer?" Ling Tong asked.

"Only if said officer lets his guard down, and you were standing there beautifully enjoying the sight when anyone could come and get you by surprise. What if it was a savage beast or a pervert?"

"Oh, you are the only savage pervert beast who comes near me with bells jiggling when you walk."

"But you let me get to you anyway..." Gan Ning smirked.

"Oh, did I?" Ling Tong made an innocent face. "I must be crazy then... What have you done to me?"

"Do you want me to show you again?" Gan Ning asked—though he wasn't expecting a verbal answer—he pressed their bodies close together and Ling Tong didn't have time to say anything when warm lips came back to meet his.

xxx

"Are you alright?" Lu Meng asked Lu Xun when he saw the boy wide eyed and with his cheeks flushed.

"What?" the young officer asked in confusion. "Ah, yeah... I guess I am."

"You seem a little disturbed. Did you see something strange?"

"Strange? Well, yeah it was strange... But..." He blushed more.

"What was it?" Lu Meng was curious.

"Ah, nothing..."

The older officer crossed his arms over his chest and arched one eyebrow. "Boyan..."

"Don't worry, master Lu Meng." Lu Xun tried to escape from the man's gaze.

"Well... okay." He saw the boy resume his walking, but then stopped him before he could leave. "Have you seen Gan Ning or Ling Tong? We need to get going and I don't know where they are."

"Hmm... they're together." The boy blushed deeply, and blushed more trying to control his blushing.

"And... is there something wrong with them?" Lu Meng asked in concern.

"No... I think they're fine."

"Can you do me a favor and bring them here?"

"Me?"

"Oh, of course! Is anybody else here? I'm talking to you."

"Alright..." The boy walked back to the direction where he came, while Lu Meng looked at him suspiciously.

After a while Lu Xun saw the two officers pressed to a tree trunk, almost inhumanly close to each other. He could do it in a somewhat noble way and warn them of his presence with resounding footsteps, but an idea came to his mind, so he choose to sneak in their direction until he was mere feets from distance, then he said out loud:

"Lu Meng is calling!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Gan Ning moved away from Ling Tong quickly.

"What are you doing here?" The oldest of the group of young officers asked, his eyebrow twitching in nervousness.

"As I said, Lu Meng is calling you two." Lu Xun smiled; then his smile turned to a chuckle. By the look on the officers' faces he had achieved his goal in taking his little revenge on them, for what had happened in a certain bar some nights before.

"I was... I wasn't... I was trying to kill him, I wasn't doing any other thing," Gan Ning said.

"Yeah, he's right, he was trying to kill me, he got me pinned here to this tree and... if it weren't for you, he could have succeeded! Now, let's go." Ling Tong started to walk back to the caravan's direction.

Then Lu Xun laughed.

The older warriors walked in defeat while the boy showed a victorious smile on his face.

xxx

Sun Quan watched as men talked excitedly to Gan Ning, as the officer walked through the troops. It seemed like they did the right thing in having the ex-pirate by their side, but he was still unsure if the man would learn to cooperate with the others and follow their strategy. At least it seemed like the plan was to Gan Ning's liking, to take the two castles. Although there were several bases on their way, it seemed like with their numbers and force Wu would be able to achieve victory. It was time to advance and that was the right opportunity, one that could not be lost, so Sun Quan ordered his forces to move forward and attack with all their might.

As the battle moved on, Sun Quan heard word that Wu forces had succeeded in taking several bases along the way and were moving to one of the castles. Although they were advancing, it wasn't an easy task: Wei defenses were very strong and a fierce battle was taking place.

Even though the bases were very well guarded, Gan Ning's troops were the furthest ahead. Fighting with all his forces as if the battle had just begun, he could see the shadows of one of the castles. Although some enemy officers had appeared on his way, they were becoming fewer and fewer. The great officers might have been locked on their fortresses, so it would be hard to break their defence.

Gan Ning smiled.

_It seems like now I'm gonna have a true challenge..._

And as the time passed, it was proved that the battle would be a real challenge for the Wu troops. Even though Gan Ning was still fighting with vigor, his men were becoming tired, and it effected the general to see that.

Suddenly Gan Ning stopped after gaining control of one of the bases. He saw a dusty wind blow in the air, and a dead silence spread over the atmosphere.

Then all hell broke loose.

A message came to him that Zhang Liao had come out of the fortress and had led Wei soldiers personally to attack Wu's main camp. Not only had he been able to cross a great distance already, but also he was doing it in a surprising momentum.

Gan Ning rushed back, seeing the chaos that had been brought by Zhang Liao's arrival; there was confusion and the dead bodies that had stood in the way of the great general. How could a man possibly do all this harm? Gan Ning would have thought that was the great opportunity he had been waiting—to fight one of the greatest warriors of their time—but instead he felt his mouth dry and his chest heaving. Most possibly, he wouldn't be the first of the remaining officers to meet the man.

When he saw more of the Wu soldiers fleeing along the way, he was well aware that several troops had been destroyed. And he already knew that some officers had been taken by Zhang Liao's blades.

Finally he reached a point were the Wu forces had gathered and heard that Sun Quan had

_Retreated?_

That was frustrating. Gan Ning didn't like to retreat. He'd rather stay and fight, but then he had his responsibility as a Wu officer. He headed to the point were he found the remaining generals and Sun Quan.

There, he found out that Lu Meng and Ling Tong were safe and he felt relieved.

"We are giving up then," Gan Ning couldn't stop himself from expressing his frustration.

"Sometimes, it is a necessary measure." Lu Meng tried reason.

"We were almost there!"

"You'd rather risk our Lord's life and fight a lost battle?" Ling Tong asked, irritated.

"A fight is never lost until you give up."

"Or when you die."

"People die. Soldiers or not. Face it, Ling Tong." Although he was arguing with the other officer, he wasn't really upset. Seeing the brunet frown didn't make him angry, after all, the man was in one piece, that was all that mattered.

"I give up on you," Ling Tong said as he turned to follow the rest of the troops in their retreat. He was glad that his sovereign was alive and they could head back home. His men were tired and the spirit of Wu soldiers was very low. He wanted to see home, see the beautiful land of Wu, see that it was still alive and yearning for him to come back.

They had been on their way for some time, tiredly walking home, and due to the hard battle and their distressed state of mind, they couln't hold the new advance of enemy troops towards them. Zhang Liao decided to pursue Wu retreating soldiers, and the result was devastating.

_I won't let my Lord perish like this!_

Ling Tong rushed to help Sun Quan troops, doing his best to make his sovereign run to safety.

Gan Ning saw the other man protecting their lord and decided to eliminate every treat that could possibly reach him. And then he fought with all the energy that still remained in him. He fought until he saw his brave men fleeing and dying. And he never thought that one day he would have to retreat like that, but he fled to Wu's ship with his remaining men. He helped with the preparations for their escape, not daring to think that they could lose any more officers. Then he felt relieved to see Lu Meng coming back, in a disheveled state, but alive. Fewer of his men had survived, most of them giving their lives to save their superior. And it was like that in the army: soldiers fought and died for their superior.

"Old man." Gan Ning rushed to his side. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah... I guess..." The man felt Gan Ning helping him support the weight of his body. It relieved him to see the young man alive and to feel the friendly warmth of the body pressed to his. It somehow alleviated the coldness he felt in his chest. "Did Ling Tong come back yet?" He looked back in distress.

Gan Ning had a dreadful feeling. Like the time had stopped and then started crumbling. "Ling Tong?" he asked.

Lu Meng felt the young man's body still, and suddenly he didn't want to answer.

"My lord, we must go now."

Sun Quan heard one of the officers talking to him, but he still wanted to wait a little longer.

"Zhang Liao will have time to come here if we don't part now, my lord."

"But Ling Tong is still there fighting him."

Gan Ning's ears picked up the conversation and he ran towards Sun Quan's side. "My lord, we have to go back there!"

And the other officers looked at the man as if he had gone crazy.

The warrior didn't think twice before turning to head back to the land, but he was stopped by Lu Meng.

"Gan Ning, stay here!"

"You want to leave a fellow officer there and run away? What was all that talking about honor?"

"I can't bear to lose another great officer to this battle."

"Why are you talking like Ling Tong died?"

"He went back to fight Zhang Liao, to stop his advances. As difficult as it is to say this, he knew what it might have implied and I... am proud of him." Lu Meng didn't have more strength to speak, saying that words hurt him more than the wounds on his body.

"It's that what you think? That he is that weak that he can't hold back to that man's attack? Do you... do you..."

_Do __you__ think he died?_

Gan Ning stumbled and grabbed the railing for support. He looked back at the land and it was the first time in his life that he prefered to rush there instead of staying in a ship.

He jumped into the water before Lu Meng could prevent him and swam with all his strength. The cold waves were suffocating him and he felt like he wasn't advancing as fast as he wanted.

The blond man didn't want to believe in Lu Meng's words, in the look on their faces, he didn't. However, deep down, he feared; to stay in the way of the great warrior Zhang Liao in most cases meant death.

But even if he let that feeling sink into his very soul, Gan Ning couldn't stay there in safety. He was ready for anything that would come, even if it meant Zhang Liao and thousands of soldiers.

Every man dies one day.

And then he saw... something in the distance, near the land. Gan Ning swam desperately until he found a body moving with the waves, stuck in some dry branches and tree trunks that had fallen on the water. He felt a sudden relief when he saw the handsome face he loved so much to look at. But the problem was that the skin was paler than he remembered and bathed in blood. When Gan Ning touched the body, he thought he would pass out; it was too cold.

"Guess I'll have to warm you up..." He tried to move the body away from the branches as gently as he could, but he saw that it would be impossible that way, so he grabbed Ling Tong with force before taking him out of the branches, hearing fabric tearing. He held the body close to his, with all his strength, feeling blood running over his skin. "C'mon, talk to me," he whispered. "I will hold you until you tell me to stop, and then... I'll still hold you, until you make me stop... and even then..."

_I won't leave you._

xxx

**O****h, the liberties fiction allows us to take... What could've been of me without them?**

**Thank you all for the reviews and support! You really make me happy and I really think about what you all tell me. And I have to thank my beta-reader too! You're so nice to me Kathy! I hope you all like the next chapters!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Shaky Ground**

**Chapter 6**

Gan Ning woke up startled and found himself lying on warm sheets and covers inside a tent. His wounds had been treated and his body was bandaged at some places. Even though he felt the pain that spread through his body force him to stay and rest, he moved out of the warm mattress and walked hastily outside; one insistent thought pounding into his head.

When the warrior left the tent, he saw several looks of astonishment; no one was expecting him to be walking around already.

"What are you doing?"

Gan Ning turned and saw Lu Meng staring at him. "Where's Ling Tong?"

The man arched one eyebrow; there was something in the blond officer's eye—an emotion so strong—that made Lu Meng feel unsure if he should answer. Then he saw the younger man moving towards him, grabbing his shoulders.

"Where is he?"

"You shouldn't be walking around..." Lu Meng started but he saw the man's piercing gaze and knew that Gan Ning wouldn't give up until he got an answer, so the older man realized there was no other option than saying what the stubborn warrior wanted to know.

xxx

Gan Ning walked to a tent's direction—as fast as his wounded body let him—and saw an unexpected scene when he entered. Sun Quan was kneeling on the carpet, leaning his body over Ling Tong.

"Please, come back to us soon. I... I'll be forever grateful, I will give you a great title and land for you. What will I do if I lose you?" Sun Quan whispered.

Gan Ning frowned.

_I didn't know he had a thing for Ling Tong... It's disturbing._

The ex-pirate moved boldly towards the bed. "My lord," he took a deep breath, trying his best to control the sudden pang of jealousy. "I need to talk to him."

Sun Quan was startled by the man's presence; he didn't realize he had entered. "Gan Ning... I'm glad you are better! For a moment... I almost thought I had lost both of you. I don't know if I could handle the grief of losing two of my precious officers, not you two."

Gan Ning saw the look of relief and admiration in the man's eyes and felt a little guilty for being jealous of him. "Is he alright?"

"He's alive."

_Alive._

"Then he will live." He knelt beside Sun Quan and inspected Ling Tong's body. He was lying on the bed with his long hair covering the pillow in a dark curtain and a white robe loosely covering his body warped in bandages.

"We're doing our best to keep him alive. He managed to hold on for these days."

"Days?" Gan Ning asked in surprise.

"Yes. Two days. We made sure there was no way Zhang Liao could reach us and made camp. Thanks to my Gongji, Wei troops have been delayed."

Gan Ning didn't realize that two days had passed; he must have been really out of energy for that to happen.

"What happened after... after I jumped into the water?" He only remembered staying with Ling Tong until he lost consciousness.

"Oh, I was desperate when I saw you jumping and insisted on sending men to go after you. They came back with you two, they said you found Gongji and might have been trying to bring him to the ship."

Gan Ning didn't remember it.

"My lord, can I ask you if I could be alone with him?"

"Of course." He stood up and walked some, before stopping at the tent's entrance. "You really made me proud of you... To be able to do all that to rescue him... It was really noble."

"It wasn't nobility that made me go after him."

"Whatever it was, I thank you."

And Sun Quan left the tent.

Gan Ning caressed the brown locks of Ling Tong's hair briefly before kissing his lips. He wished the man could respond to the kiss, but he kept still. It was really disturbing to see him unresponsive, so the ex-pirate bit on his neck, hoping to see a frown on his lover's face. The smell of medicinal herbs was filling his nostrils as he bit a little harder on Ling Tong's neck, hoping to see something, a sign, anything. He wanted so much to see some expression, something that showed that the man was alive, apart from his breathing and heartbeat. Gan Ning wanted him to wake up, so he moved his hands over Ling Tong's torso and tried to tickle him, for a moment thinking he had seen a small frown. He smirked and tickled him more, lying his head on the brunet's chest.

"I knew you could take Zhang Liao and survive... that's my boy," he whispered.

But that was it; Gan Ning was convinced that he couldn't make Ling Tong wake up at that time, so he stared at him some more before moving to the tent's entrance and whispering a silent good night.

xxx

Gan Ning woke up with a terrible hunger. In the previous night he had slept as soon as he reached his bed and he didn't remember dreaming about anything. He was feeling quite better after the recovering hours of sleep; the pain in his body had subdued and he felt the needed to move some.

He left his tent and headed to the place where he could find some food. When the officer stepped into the place, soldiers greeted him and served him. Even though they were happy to see him, the mood was not so bright due to their retreat. It was very strange... to lose a battle. It was bitter and it made him want to forget everything that happened. What calmed him down a bit was feeling the thick soup warm his body and the taste of the rice balls he was munching so eagerly. It wasn't the best banquet he had in his life, but at that moment, it was almost as if it were.

When the young officer sated his stomach some, he saw a man approaching the place and he promptly stood up at the sight.

"Old man!"

"Heh, see you recovered your appetitte."

"Never lost it."

"And what about your wounds, think you'll recover soon?" Lu Meng patted the man's back gently and sat.

"This is nothing, I'm already better. But what about you, old man, are you okay?"

"Again with the old man?" He frowned. "Of course I'm okay, I'm here, right?"

Gan Ning looked over the older man's form and didn't think he was in top condition, but then he didn't want to argue.

"But I guess you're right," Lu Meng said. "I'm starting to think I'm too old for all this. Maybe it's time to leave the battles to the young, but... I think I still have something to do before I retire."

"I'm not really bothered to have you around. I guess we all have to learn with those who are older and lived many many years... Ouch!" He felt his head being hit.

"Insolent pirate." Lu Meng then grabbed some food and started to eat.

Gan Ning laughed and ate some more. It was good to see that one of his friends was recovering and eating by his side, but then he remembered that he missed someone there too. His eyes searched for the direction of a certain tent and for a long moment, he couldn't stop staring.

Lu Meng perceived the gaze and arched one eyebrow. "Are you worried about him?"

"Why shouldn't I? He's my... fellow officer."

"I heard he woke up briefly today and ate some, then he went back to sleep."

"Why haven't you told me before?" Gan Ning got up and hurried to the place where Ling Tong was in, leaving the rest of his food behind.

Lu Meng arched even more his eyebrow as he watched the man disappear inside the tent.

_They got really close__ over the time..._

xxx

Gan Ning found Ling Tong sleeping and was slightly frustrated. But then the sight of him breathing steadily in his sleep was somehow comforting. He moved closer and sat on the mattress, beside the lying form. His left hand brushed some locks from the sleeping face and he moved his fingers over the pale skin.

_Are they feeding him well?_

The other officer wasn't that pale before.

He kissed the man's temple and moved his fingers down his torso. Ling Tong had clean bandages around him and Gan Ning tried to find the parts where the skin was uncovered. Then he brushed a spot made sensitive by a wound and he felt the muscles under his fingers contract as Ling Tong woke up and hissed in pain. The dark-haired man opened his eyes slowly and saw a pair of eyes glowing like fire.

"Gan Ning..." His throat felt sore from the lack of use.

"Here I am." The man smiled.

Ling Tong led both hands to Gan Ning's face and traced it, studying nicely sculpted features. He caressed the blond locks with his left hand and traced the lips with his other hand's fingers and thumb.

"I... I was dreaming about you."

"I always knew you were kinky." Gan Ning grinned.

"Not like that... You were... You were..."

"What?" He frowned slightly.

"Your body was under a tree."

"Dead?"

"I guess so..."

"Did you kill me?"

"I don't know, I guess not. I think you were severely wounded because of a battle."

"Hmm... It may happen some day. I think it's the most natural way of dying for me. The important thing is that I die without regrets and that I enjoyed life to the fullest until then. I think I have more years to live, more things to see, but if I died now, I wouldn't be sad. I had a lot of fun and had a lot of adventures at land and at sea. And I've found people that were really important to me, that I really care about. I never thought I'd be so attached to something or someone... I guess, I'd die happy as long as... you don't die before I do."

"They told me you saved me," Ling Tong said softly.

"I didn't save you, I just couldn't leave without you, so I went back to find you."

"Thank you."

Those words might have sounded a too simple way to show gratitude, but for Gan Ning they meant the world.

"Well... then... What else happened in the dream? Did I have a glorious death?"

"No... you were just slumped there..."

"..."

"Well, I don't remember all the details... just when I was going to see what happened you interrupted my dream, molesting me while I'm in this state, have you no shame?"

Gan Ning smirked. "No..." He moved his hand lower. "Y'know, I was thinking... how well are you recovering..." He opened the sash of Ling Tong's robe and guided his hand inside his pants.

"You..." Then Ling Tong forgot what he was saying when the hand warped around his member and started to stroke him. He felt his organ hardening and cursed under his breath. Then Gan Ning lowered his lover's pants and freed his member. "You know that we're not in our rooms... and anyone can enter at any moment." He saw the movement of Gan Ning's hand under the sheets and there would be no doubt about what he was doing to him if someone caught them.

"What? Our lord, old man or the kid? They're all perverts, they'll like it."

"I give up on you." Ling Tong felt the delicious grip sliding up and down and he tried to hold back his moans. Well, deciding that the situation couldn't be much worse if someone walked in, Ling Tong lifted himself up a little and cupped Gan Ning's member over his pants.

The man groaned at the unexpected action and soon moved closer to help Ling Tong have a better feel of him. Gan Ning felt the fingers wrapping around him, tracing him and then pressing. His mind swirled slightly when he felt Ling Tong freeing his member from his pants and stroking him continuously.

Their cocks soon became smeared in pre-cum and they started a silent competition of who would drive the other to their climax first. It was one of the games they played that didn't matter who won or lost. In that occasion, Ling Tong came first, but then, Gan Ning had the upper hand for starting first. His body was still weak and he didn't give much resistance to Gan Ning's action, letting him guide him to his peak the way he pleased.

The ex-pirate smiled in his victory and enjoyed the last strokes of Ling Tong's hand for a while before coming in long and profuse waves.

"Damn what a mess you've made..." Ling Tong complained when he saw both his and Gan Ning's convicting proof over their bodies, their bandages and the sheets. "You have to clean this up before someone walks in."

"Yeah? Do I have to change your clothes?"

"I'm telling you to clean this up, not to make it worse, you pervert."

"But I'm trying to help here." He took the sheet off and started to slide Ling Tong's thin garment off his body.

"Somehow... I think it's not your true intentions."

Gan Ning grinned.

xxx

**I'm really really happy for all the support you're giving me! Your reviews are like jewels that I keep in my treasure chest.**** I just received so many words of incentive, and I have to thank you all. And, of course, I have to thank my beta-reader Xian Ke/Kathy, it is so much fun to read Not Bad At All. I'm also keeping an eye on the other GNxLT you people are writing, I love it when I click on the DW section and there are updates or new fics, so I encourage you all to write more! Oh, and Vyrillien, you really read my portuguese version, the google translation might have been funny! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Shaky Ground**

**Chapter 7**

After the retreat from He Fei, the Wu forces had returned to their land to recover and then concentrate on a new strategy to strike Wei.

Ling Tong was walking through the dark corridors of the palace. Every night an insistent thought was worrying his otherwise peaceful sleep. Ling Tong was uneasy; he wanted to be alone to think about it clearly. However, the fact that a certain noisy person was always around didn't help him. Somehow, that pirate always distracted him from his thoughts and he couldn't concentrate on...

He heard the bell's jiggling, echoing over the empty halls. The long-haired officer took a deep breath...

_What can I do now...__?_

"Are you following me?" Ling Tong stopped and asked without turning.

"No, it's you who's running away from me." The man crossed his arms over his chest. It wasn't as if they had fought. They still met each other. But Gan Ning felt as if their encounters were becoming fewer and fewer and he wasn't receiving the attention he thought he deserved. "What's going on? Did I do something wrong?"

"Gan Ning." Ling Tong turned to face the upset warrior. "I just... want to be alone for a while, will you allow me Gan Xingba?"

The man sighed. "Why do you wanna be alone? What are you thinking?" It wasn't as if he didn't want to give the man some space, but he was worried about what was happening in his lover's head. Just when he had finally thought that their differences had been settled, Ling Tong started to show a rather distant behavior, and Gan Ning was very uneasy about it. "I don't get you."

"Just... let me be alone for a while."

"Will you come back?" Gan Ning shook his head and turned his back to the other man. "Fine, suit yourself."

It hurt Ling Tong to see him leaving like that, but he was sure the ex-pirate would survive. He kept walking through the corridors until he found a room lit in the night. Entering it, he saw Lu Xun absorbed in a map, his pretty face concentrated on a place that could be a future battlefield.

"Don't you think it's time to rest, Boyan?"

Lu Xun snapped out of his reverie and looked up. "I'm..." He then forgot what he was going to say and stood up. "I'm just so worried."

"About what?"

"About the kingdom... I knew I had to advise our Lord to act more carefully, but I wasn't capable of stopping him. What if... something bad had happened. What if the enemy took him and... What if..." He looked up to stare at the tall man's eyes. Then he walked to his direction. "Gongji..." Lu Xun tried to be strong, as strong as a Wu officer might be, but he couldn't help but feel weak and he couldn't stop himself from wrapping his arms around the older man's body for support. "Gongji, I was afraid. For a moment, I thought I'd lose you."

Ling Tong let the boy rest his head on his chest and caressed his fine brown hair in a soothing way. "You don't need to worry, I'm here right now."

"And Master Gan Ning, he would be devastated if he lost you."

"My lord..."

"I know, I have to be strong. I'm sorry for troubling you with my worries."

"Have more confidence in yourself. I know you will come up with great plans for Wu. You'll be a great strategist."

Lu Xun smiled sadly. "Thank you."

"Now, don't stay up for too long. Get some rest." And Ling Tong left the room. He walked some more until he was outside the palace. The place was quiet and the floor was still wet because of the rain that had fallen. He walked to the direction of a small temple and closed his eyes in concentration.

xxx

"Up so late? Are you hungry?" Lu Meng asked when he saw Gan Ning wandering through the halls.

"Nah, just trying to find some thing to do."

"And what about sleeping?"

"I'll have a lot of time to rest when I'm dead."

Lu Meng chuckled. "Do you think so?"

"When the time comes, I'll see."

"But it will take a while 'til it comes. I'll probably know before you do."

"Then, do me a favor and tell me."

"Only if I appear as a ghost... That would be funny. To see your frightened face."

"What? Me? I wouldn't be more scared of you than when I see your ugly face right after you wake up."

"And when did you see me right after I woke up? Did you sleep with me?"

"You're too old for me, you pervert."

"Hah, like I ever want to have an insolent pirate like you in my bed."

"You know that a lot of people are dying to have me, don't you?"

"I'm really sorry for them." Lu Meng eyed the ex-pirate and arched one eyebrow. "Are you chasing someone? That's the reason you're walking around?"

"Me? No!"

"You know, I was young one day, you can talk to me about it, I know you're not a shy boy."

"Like Lu Xun?"

Lu Meng chuckled. "Spit it out."

"Ling Tong is avoiding me."

The older man blinked a few times, not knowing if he wanted to understand the connection. "Well... how so?"

"He seems distant, like he's troubled with something."

"That is a strange thing to say about him. He doesn't seem to be bothered by many things besides Wu and... his father's honor."

"Maybe the latter has something to do with me?"

"Yeah... maybe." Lu Meng walked to Gan Ning's direction and touched his shoulder. "But I'm sure he respects you now, for everything you've done for our kingdom, and for risking your life to bring him back. But then... he never forgot his father's death. You know that he didn't make light of a comment that concerned his father's honor in the past."

"What happened?"

"The man eventually died."

"..."

"But Ling Tong was younger and he regrets it deeply."

"So, you're telling me he killed a guy that said something bad about his father, that means he's planning something real worse for me then. Why do you think it'll make me feel better?"

"He wouldn't do that now. He's very gentle and responsible... Well, kind of."

"Do you think he will ever forgive me?"

"To be sincere, I don't know."

"Thanks." Gan Ning turned to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Really, old man, I'm touched by your concern. I'll remember it."

"Sorry if I didn't help much."

"I know you want to help me, but I guess what we have can only be settled by the two of us."

Lu Meng watched as the young man walked away and sighed. What could he do? Maybe the brazen pirate was right, he was too old and he'd better leave the matter for those who were young.

xxx

After praying, Ling Tong sat and rested his head against a temple pillar. He thought about his promise and felt guilty. He had been fighting in his head for a long time. Damn pirate to make him have these troublesome thoughts. It'd be much easier if he was just an undignified man, an enemy. He could just take his revenge. But Gan Ning had become one of the most important Wu officers, loyal to their kingdom. However, he would never forget the day when he saw his father's body devoid of life. It was like some kind of darkness had enveloped his soul, and even though he could pretend to have forgotten it, the sadness still lingered somewhere in his heart. Nevertheless, what calmed him somewhat was to think that to give one's life for the sake of your country is not a shameful way to die. This, Ling Tong had learned when he thought of risking his life to save Sun Quan in the battle of He Fei. There was no shame in dying for a purpose.

He got up slowly and brushed the rain drops that had fallen over his hair. The sky was all dark. No star could be seen because of the heavy clouds covering the horizon. He walked slowly back to his room, and wasn't at all surprised when he saw Gan Ning leaning against a wall.

"Have you decided? Whatever you thought you should?"

"I don't know, I think it wasn't about deciding anything."

"If you wanna kill me, then do this. Challenge me, fight me, but tell me what you're gonna do, don't keep me in the dark. I can handle anything coming from you, I just can't stand indifference. Not from you."

"Yes, I made a promise I would avenge my father's death, but when you became a Wu officer, Sun Quan made me promise I would wait until the war was over, and only then I could do what I thought I should."

"Then what? You'll make me wait here until the war is over, that's it? You won't give me an answer, you expect me to stay away from you until then?" Gan Ning stood with his eyes glowing like fire.

"Xingba," Ling Tong said smoothly. "Don't worry too much, it doesn't seem like you." He walked towards him and touched an uncovered shoulder. "You're tense."

"Yes, I am." He tried to avoid the taller man's eyes.

"Let me help you," Ling Tong whispered in his ear.

"You know... I hate you." Gan Ning felt a hand on his, leading him to a room. "I hate when you do this to me."

"I know." Ling Tong smirked.

xxx

The dark-haired man's eyes gazed over the hills and he was the first to rush towards enemy territory—under Lu Meng's orders. It had been a while since Ling Tong led the front lines and he was eager to prove he could do this.

Gan Ning had been a little disappointed not to be in charge of the first attack, but there were other plans for him. He began to take a base near the river, while Ling Tong took bases ahead. What relieved the ex-pirate was the fact that he trusted in the other officer's abilities.

_I have to say he's almost as good as I am._

_Almost._

But what made him a little nervous was the fact that Zhang Liao would soon appear and he knew that Ling Tong was eager to meet him in battle. And it was almost impossible to deny that what Zhang Liao had accomplished in the battle of He Fei was incredible and he was one of the best generals of their time.

After taking the base, Gan Ning rushed to accomplish his other task, and he couldn't fail. Not that it was a possibility he considered to begin with... The blond officer made his way down the hill and to the harbor, but when he reached the place he found himself surrounded by several Wei officers.

Even though he thought it was an interesting challenge, he didn't have much time to spare, so he fought as fast as possible. However, the number of Wei soldiers didn't seem to decrease over time. But soon Gan Ning heard a commotion and saw another ally unit arriving.

"What are you doing here? Trying to spoil my fun?" Gan Ning saw the long-haired officer getting close to him.

"Lu Meng sent me here, he wanted to make sure you didn't mess with things."

"Hah, like I need your help!" Gan Ning smiled as he saw the brunet taking down several officers. It was always good to see an enemy falling after all.

"And what would be of you without me?" Ling Tong turned briefly and smiled back.

The Wei soldiers were numerous around them, but no unit or officer was able to fight their combined forces, so Ling Tong escorted Gan Ning to the harbor with ease.

The ex-pirate saw a ship waiting for him and looked back at the other officer. "I'll see you in no time."

"I'll be waiting for you, so don't get your ass kicked on the way."

Gan Ning laughed. "I say the same thing to you." He looked back at him one last time before getting on board. While sailing, he prayed silently that the wind helped him to arrive at Cao Cao's main camp before his officers had time to counter-attack. If they did, it would be difficult to hold back, being in a small number. The victory depended on him accomplishing his part of the plan.

While Gan Ning was heading for his destination, Wu forces guarded the bases they had taken on the other side of the battlefield, waiting for what would come, trusting in the surprise attack that would be launched. However, as it was expected, Cao Cao's forces started a counter-attack, and at that time it wasn't the average officers he sent, but Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren and Zhang Liao.

Ling Tong would be the first to receive the oppressive force of Wei's soldiers, and when their strike finally came, not only did he endure the offensive, but he also moved forward towards Wei's main camp. The young officer made sure the previous posts were secured and advanced carefully. He knew that sooner or later, waiting or advancing, he would meet Zhang Liao again.

And it was as he expected, the mighty general was there, imposing, mounted on the magnificent beast that was his horse, shining armor sparkling under the moonlight. He took his axes and did what most men feared: he ran to attack with great speed. It was surely the last sight many had seen before their passing. Ling Tong couldn't deny his heart accelerated and he gripped his Sanjiegun tightly.

He saw many of his soldiers being slashed by the blades, trying bravely to avoid the feared warrior from reaching their superior, and he decided he couldn't bear seeing anymore of that again. Ling Tong rushed to meet the enemy and took down several soldiers with his sectioned staff, until he was almost face to face with Zhang Liao, and it didn't take long before he saw the deadly blades moving towards him. He tried to avoid the attack and made a move on his horse, but the next enemy charge resulted in throwing him off to the ground, in an ungracious manner. Recovering quickly, he avoided an attack that could slash him in half.

Zhang Liao's moves came fast and also held a great strength. It was almost impossible to keep up a battle against him. Ling Tong made a great effort to attack, but he had the disadvantage of having to be really close to the man to do him any harm. With so many strong points on the enemy side, Ling Tong saw himself escaping from the attacks constantly and blocking when possible.

Then Zhang Liao suddenly stopped his attacks. "That's amazing, young man. No one I've fought has survived for so long. I'm honored to fight you."

Ling Tong stared at the enemy while he regained his breath.

_What a wonderful enemy._

The fact that the man and his personnel had almost killed him in the last battle didn't make his honor in fighting him falter. Zhang Liao was a great general, strong, intelligent and also a respectful man.

Ling Tong didn't want to die, but he thought he couldn't have a more honored death than by the hands of that man.

And then, Zhang Liao resumed his attacks, and it would be a matter of time until he had worn out Ling Tong's energy and could hit him with lethal blows.

But suddenly they heard a great commotion on Wei's main camp. Yelling and screaming could be heard, signs that the place had been attacked.

Zhang Liao stopped attacking and kept vigilant, waiting for a sign that would tell him what the best action he would take was. He looked back at his camp briefly and then stared at Ling Tong for a while, until he made his decision and called his horse, riding to the Wei camp's direction.

Ling Tong was bewildered by the scene and mounted his horse too. He rode to the same direction Zhang Liao had taken, guiding Wu troops towards the main camp. When he arrived, the place was in a chaotic state. Wei soldiers were fleeing profusely in their confused state. With Gan Ning's surprise attack, the Wu soldiers had quickly gained control of the camp. When Ling Tong arrived with the rest of the troops, the place was completely surrounded.

There was no other option for Cao Cao and his men than to leave the camp and retreat. Even the great Zhang Liao couldn't take that much of a force surrounding him, so he guarded his lord in his departure.

Wu soldiers cheered and bathed in the sweet light of victory. Shouts and laughing and drums could be heard all over in the confusion of bodies running around in sheer glory and happiness. A chance to live another day, to return to their loved ones.

"I kept my promise!" Gan Ning shouted to make himself heard in the middle of the crowd.

Ling Tong looked at the man glowing in the red armor and smiled. "And so did I."

xxx

After the battle was over and no more traces of Wei's army could be seen, the soldiers of Wu went back to their main base to celebrate the great victory. Excited voices and laughing could be heard for long hours, slowly fading as the night advanced. While most of the soldiers were already sleeping, there was one voice that still could be heard.

"...You should've seen their faces when I jumped into their camp. Some of them didn't even attack me when I walked past them, they didn't even know what to do. There was this guy that stood there holding his sword and doing nothing, he just looked at me like I was some kind of ghost and, I can say he was really scared of me, he wasn't expecting me to show up right in there. But maybe, you know, I think he knew who I am, he knew that he couldn't win against me. Have I told you how I knocked three soldiers with just one blow?"

"Yeah... twice in the last hour..." Ling Tong took a sip of his drink and tried to be patient. He knew that Gan Ning wouldn't stop before he had fulfilled his desire to talk about his battle achievements.

"But it is so good I have to tell you again."

Lu Meng coughed. "Not again! Spare my old man ears, they are already sore!" The older officer voiced his suffering, but even so, despite his words, he quite enjoyed to be in the company of the two younger officers. He closed his eyes and felt the warmth of the fire protecting him from the chilly night breeze while Gan Ning had resumed his storytelling session.

"Hey! It's not time to sleep yet, old man!"

"See, he's tired of you talking!" Ling Tong finished his drink. "Don't you think it's time to rest?" The young man stretched lazily. "I'm tired." And stood up. "I think I'm leaving now..." He started to walk slowly to his tent's direction, stopping briefly to give a meaningful look at Gan Ning's direction.

The ex-pirate watched his lover walk through the camp, disappearing in one of the tents. He knew that it would be a little suspicious if he just walked after him and went to the same direction, so he stayed where he was and just drank while watching the flames of the fire moving softly with the night breeze.

"I just can't believe you stopped talking for a whole minute."

"Hey, I thought you were sleeping, old man."

"As strange as it may seem, I don't feel like sleeping tonight."

"Yeah, I know... Sometimes I feel a little restless after a battle too. I always feel like there's still some energy left... that even after all the fighting, I'm still looking for more."

"Well... I felt like it too, when I was younger, but it's not that... I feel..." Lu Meng stopped briefly, trying to find the right words. "I feel like there's more I should do. I feel that I can't stop yet."

"You did well in the battle, Lu Meng." Gan Ning put a reassuring hand over the other officer's shoulder. "We won because of your instructions, we won because of you."

"You make it seem like it was just me." Lu Meng smiled warmly. "You did well too. It seems like you've finally learned how to take orders!"

"Hey, I always followed your orders."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, you're right, I'm not very good at this following orders thing."

Lu Meng chuckled. "Oh, that's a big surprise."

"Ok, I'll let you make fun of me just this once, just because they say we have to respect the old men."

"I'm not that old! You know that!"

"Just teasing."

"Yeah, I know." Lu Meng took a sip of his drink. "But, you know, maybe it will not be so bad if I retire now. I wouldn't say something like that some time ago, but now, seeing how you all have changed... Sun Quan is now a confident leader and Lu Xun is becoming a great strategist. And you and Ling Tong, you are now two of the best officers we have in Wu. I'm so proud of you. It makes me think that Wu will be in good hands with you, so maybe you won't lose much if I'm out of the battlefields."

"Hey, don't say that. I know that I'll have to put up with you for a long time..." Gan Ning smiled and looked beside him. But suddenly it started to rain heavily and the blond officer realized he was soaking wet. He looked beside him again and blinked a few times, realizing there was no one there. Bewildered, he looked around and found out he wasn't sitting by a fire in Wu's camp; he was sitting under a dead tree, in the middle of a field. The ground was so wet the earth had become mud, proof that it had been raining for a while.

Gan Ning stood up and started to walk through the empty fields. He walked and walked aimlessly for a while, until he found his way to the palace and stepped on stone floor.

_Why that night?_

The young officer was so angry at himself, he couldn't stop thinking about the night after they had won one of the battles, a night they had spent celebrating.

To celebrate, it was what they had promised to do after the battle against Guan Yu was over. But as Gan Ning stared at nothing in the rain, he didn't felt like celebrating. They had achieved victory, they had achieved victory because of Lu Meng's plans. However, it didn't felt like a victory at all.

_Old man, stop it._

But Lu Meng didn't stop his departure from this world. Despite Gan Ning's pleading, the old man stubbornly closed his eyes as his body laid in the younger officer's arms.

It couldn't be.

Death was death, it happened every day. However, on that day, death meant the end. The end of a great man. The end of a man he so admired, someone who was always there for him.

And how...

_How can he sit there like__ nothing happened?_

"You're not going to drink to the old man's death?"

It was the first time in Gan Ning's life he wasn't in the mood for drinking. It wasn't as if the alcohol would erase his memories forever. No, he just couldn't forget.

Ling Tong inspected the ex-pirate saddened expression, it was very strange to see the man like that. "Well, I suppose he is a bit relieved," he finally said.

"What do you mean...?" Gan Ning asked bitterly.

"He won't have to deal with your boasting anymore."

That made the blood that had felt cold in Gan Ning's veins boil as he clenched his fists.

Ling Tong felt a bit relieved seeing the fist attempting to raise in the air. That was a sign that the man was still himself. But then the blond just left the blow unfinished and walked away in the rain.

xxx

The boy stared at the horizon by the balcony. The rain had extinguished the fire of the torches and all that could be seen was the world painted in a gray color. He squeezed the railing with his fingers and felt tears of frustration rolling down his cheek.

"Boyan..." Sun Quan said in concern. He had been watching the boy like that for a while.

Hearing his sovereign voice, the boy tried to hold back his tears. "My lord..." He answered in a soft voice, but still not daring to turn. He had to show himself strong, how could he prove it if his lord saw him like that?

"We all mourn his passing, there's no shame in crying for a dear friend's death."

"I'm not crying. I'm not..."

"You may cry." Sun Quan touched the boy's arm. "I allow you to do it."

Then Lu Xun cried. "I swear... that it will be the last time I cry over his death." He then turned and Sun Quan saw that the tears didn't affect the boy's beauty in the least. It was just heart wrenching to see his saddened face. "This is not what he wanted from me... He would want me to do my best for Wu... and... and... that is what I'll do. I swear, I will lead Wu to victory in this chaotic time."

"Yeah, I trust you." He watched the young man's conviction and he only had the choice to trust him. "I..."

Lu Xun saw Sun Quan's expression darkening. "What happened, my lord?"

"It's like, one of the pillars to my kingdom had crumbled. He was so important to me, he gave me the guidance when I needed. But... I know I'll do this... I'll bring peace for the land of Wu. And I won't do it alone... I still have you." He held the boy in his arms and Lu Xun let him. "I still have all of you."

xxx

Gan Ning walked and walked around. Never again... Never again would he say that...

_Old man..._

It was such a lonely day and he was tired of walking.

_Then... that's the feeling of losing someone?_

_Really losing someone?_

Gan Ning saw several people he knew die. Since the time he was a pirate, he saw his allies dying. Then why was it different with Lu Meng? Why have things become different when he started serving under Wu?

_They are... my family._

The family he never had.

_So... this is how we feel when..._

When Gan Ning returned, he saw there was a young man sitting by the rain. His long hair was plastered to his face and his clothes were all wet, letting the form fitting fabric even more revealing. Gan Ning drank in that sight and felt his heartbeats racing.

_Ling Tong..._

"Gan Ning... I'm sorry."

_I'm still angry, I'm still angry with you._

"I just... I just didn't want to see you like that, I've never seen you so sad before. I guess I just made things worse..." Ling Tong smiled sadly.

"Don't you miss him?" Gan Ning asked.

"Of course I do."

"But why do you seem so calm?"

"As you said, everyone dies one day. And one thing I realized, was that dying for something you fight for is very honorable."

"But it's still dying!"

"Yes, it is. But if there is no other destiny in our lives, then let it be in a dignified way."

Gan Ning sighed. "I guess you're right." He sat by the other man's side. "So... where's the booze?"

"Ah... I drank it all already."

"What? You left nothing for me?"

"You were too late..." He put one comforting arm around the ex-pirate's waist.

"Okay... Next time I'll arrive in time to drink." He licked Ling Tong's lips. "It tasted good." Then he kissed him, savoring his mouth, taking in the bittersweet flavor of the drink. It started to rain heavily, but he didn't care, he kept on kissing him as if nothing else existed in the world. He wanted so much to be near him, to feel someone he cared about close to him.

When the kiss ended, Gan Ning rested his head on Ling Tong's shoulder and just watched the rain falling.

xxx

**That was a difficult chapter to write, I just kept adding scenes and changing a lot of things in the text. Well, there's is only one chapter left now and I'm feeling a little worried. I just don't want to disappoint you. All the reviews were real nice and the kind words mean a lot to me. I hope you enjoy, the next chapter!**

**P.S. ****Yeah, Xian Ke, Sun Quan and Ling Tong are cute together too! And thanks again for everything!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So this is the last chapter and, of course, I had to write some smut before it ended. ****I hope you like it.**

* * *

**Shaky Ground**

* * *

**Chapter ****8**

_Dead friends and all that__ stuff... You've got families and feelings, of course! Old allies and so on. It's alright to think about all that. It gives your life purpose and propels you forward!_

That was the discourse Gan Ning gave his men before the decisive battle for Wu. Seeing the effect his words had on the men, he knew they were prepared to fight. He looked once more to his soldiers and turned to face the battle. Gan Ning felt that he had never been so prepared to fight than after saying those words. He was ready.

They invaded Wei territory, taking it completely in a spectacular victory. It was the only thing that was in their way to accomplish their dream. It had been the last step needed for Wu to change History.

The chaos was over.

xxx

However, it was just the beginning for those who had survived the long war. After all the tragedy and casualties, life would finally begin again.

xxx

There was a huge party, one like no one had ever seen before. Wu celebrated the return of their heroes and the return of the peace.

_Peace... What a boring thing..._

Gan Ning walked around the corridors, empting glass after glass that was served to him. All around he saw happy faces and music. He couldn't deny that he liked all that cheerful mood, but when the time of celebrating was done, all that would be left was the routine of a peaceful land. And that wasn't for him.

"Tired of all the party?" He heard a familiar voice.

"Just felt like starting a particular one." He walked towards the other man and grabbed him by the waist.

"You're drunk." Ling Tong tried to shove the ex-pirate away.

"Like you ever cared before." Gan Ning kissed his lover's cheek and then his lips.

Ling Tong looked around. They were at a quiet place in the palace, far from the party, but still not that far away. "Someone can see us."

"And what if they see us?" Gan Ning kissed Ling Tong and pressed him to a pillar. But then he stopped when he saw a piece of red fabric behind another pillar, waving with the wind... and a pair of curious eyes. "What you're doing here?"

"Oh... nothing..." Lu Xun said innocently. "I was just passing by... You can go on, pretend I'm not here."

"You know, it's hard to imagine you're not here," Gan Ning stared at the younger officer intently.

"We have a very naughty boy here..." Ling Tong said. "Guess we have to teach him a lesson."

Lu Xun blushed furiously.

"Yeah, you're right," Gan Ning agreed.

"I'm always right."

"Do you think we have to punish him? Like spank him?"

"You're so mean, I was thinking about something lighter, like tying him to our bed..." Ling Tong smirked slightly when he saw the boy's cheeks getting even more red.

"And then spank him and..." Gan Ning trailed off, but stopped when he heard footsteps.

"Why are you all here?" Sun Quan eyed the three men. And they all looked back at him as if they had been caught.

"We're not doing anything wrong..." Gan Ning started.

"Yeah, he's right, for once," Ling Tong added.

"Okay..." Sun Quan looked at their faces and was a little confused. "I was just wondering why you weren't at the party, after all, you deserve it,"

"My lord, it is you that should be at the party right now." Lu Xun said after thinking about a strategy to get out of that embarassing situation.

"But I... was feeling like there was someone missing."

"Don't worry." Lu Xun smiled sweetly. "We'll be right back at the..." Then he looked at the direction the other officers had been and saw an empty space.

"..." Sun Quan looked at the place and saw the same thing, well, he saw an empty space. "Where did they go?"

Lu Xun blushed. "I don't know! I have no idea... Yeah, right, I have no idea..." He started to walk back to the party and then smiled broadly suddenly.

"Seems like you're really happy." Sun Quan said. It relieved his heart to see that cheerful expression on the boy's face.

"Well, yes." Lu Xun walked more and then turned to face his superior. "My lord, have you ever caught yourself thinking about things, but you don't know why you're thinking about that?"

Sun Quan looked surprised at the boy. "In fact... yes." The young ruler of Wu felt his face getting warm and he didn't know exactly why. The only thing he knew was that he felt different when he was so close to the young strategist.

Lu Xun smiled.

_Then it's okay to think like that about fellow officers, I guess...__ It's so good to know they're doing well together... I think... I wish I felt that happiness they feel when they're looking at each other..._

Sun Quan saw the smile on the boy's face while they walked side by side and felt it was really good to be back home, it was good to know he would be close to those who were important to him. The war, the danger to those he loved was finally over.

xxx

They walked through the empty halls of the palace, seeing the color of the party through the balconies and the windows. All the way outside there were people celebrating.

"You know, I've been thinking a lot about returning to the seas and resuming my adventures there. It's been a while."

"Are you sure you want to go right now? You know that a great post will be waiting for you here."

"But I don't care that much about tittles and position. I wanted to prove myself worthy, and that I know I proved. I couldn't say I didn't enjoy being a Wu officer and having so many men at my command, but... it was only when the war was still going on. Now, now it's different."

"I see..." Ling Tong trailed off.

"You..." Gan Ning looked at the other man's face. "Don't you wanna come with me?"

"Me?" Ling Tong arched one eyebrow.

"Yeah... Now that you're not gonna chop my head off anymore... You decided not to, didn't you?"

"I don't know... I guess I'll decide after all this partying time is finished."

"And what will make you choose?"

"Well..." Ling Tong entered his room. "Maybe your abilities."

"I have great abilities in all kinds of fields." He entered the room after him.

"You do?" Ling Tong felt himself pinned to the wall.

Gan Ning licked his neck. "You know I do," he murmured on the skin, making the other man shiver with the vibration.

"I have a bad memory." Ling Tong felt his clothes leaving his body in haste by the work of familiar hands, until all of them were scattered around the floor. He felt the hard red armor pressing against his flesh and felt a shiver down his spine. "Why wear armor to a party?"

Gan Ning chuckled. "Guess I never know when a fight will start. But, well, the truth is I think I look cool in it. Women love it... and some men too."

"And where are you seeing all these people?"

"Jealous are we?"

"Me?"

"You know, you never give me enough love, if you gave me more attention, then I wouldn't have time to look for others." Gan Ning teased.

"More attention than I give you? I'd go insane if I spent that much time around you!"

"Then you want me to go?" Gan Ning moved away and grinned.

"Hmm..." Ling Tong tried to avert his gaze from the deep stare he was receiving. He couldn't understand how the man's eyes seemed to sparkle sometimes. "I never said that."

Gan Ning pressed his body to the other officer again. "Don't tell me you don't like to see me in armor."

"It only gets in the way." He looked down and touched the red chest plate, sliding his hands over the hard material. "Do you feel anything when I touch you like that?" Ling Tong kissed his shoulder plate.

"Okay... you convinced me." Gan Ning started to remove his armor. "Help me here, will ya?" he said when he saw Ling Tong getting distracted with the black plumes on his back.

When the metallic pieces were taken off, the dark-haired man could take a better look of Gan Ning's upper body illuminated by the moonlight. He bit on the chocker on his neck and slid his hands over the chest, feeling his nipples hardening under the touch.

Gan Ning slid his hands over Ling Tong's slender neck and massaged his shoulders, before putting his arms around the other man's and touching his back.

Ling Tong moved his mouth lower and spread kisses over Gan Ning's torso, before getting down on his knees.

"Now, that's a good position to stay in." The blond man looked down and grinned.

The long-haired man looked up and locked his gaze to the ex-pirate's, he just stayed there looking until he saw a frown in the blond's face and smirked. Gan Ning sighed in frustration and grabbed Ling Tong by the back of his head, bringing him forward. The dark-haired man frowned when he felt his nose brush the covered member. "You're so impatient..." he murmured over the fabric.

"C'mon, when you start something you have to finish it."

"Yeah, right..." Ling Tong sighed and pressed his lips to the confined member, feeling it twitch under his touch. Then he licked the fabric of the pants and moved his mouth over it.

Gan Ning felt his head spin and his blood rush downwards. He moved his crotch forward in antecipation and hoped his cruel lover could take it to the next step before he lost control and shoved him on the bed, taking him without mercy, which wouldn't be a bad idea. Gan Ning grabbed the ponytail with a hand and pulled Ling Tong's head backwards, so he could have some space to reach his cock himself and take it from his pants. He jerked himself off a bit before guiding the organ to Ling Tong's mouth. Gan Ning pressed the tip to the dark-haired man's lips and moved it over them until they parted slightly.

"Hey, do it, baby." Gan Ning pressed more of his member to Ling Tong's mouth and saw it slide in just slightly. He was glad when he felt the wet cavity envelope him and suck him. With half lidded eyes he watched in amazement as Ling Tong licked the underside lovingly a few times and continued to suck him. He entwined his fingers in the smooth brown locks with his left hand and brushed some bangs aside with his right hand, carressing his face with his thumb and the neck with his fingers while he acompained the movement of Ling Tong over his cock. Gan Ning felt the man's hands squeeze his tighs and moving up his sides to carress the defined muscles. The blond moaned deeply when he felt Ling Tong suck him harder. Gan Ning loved that so much, and that damn officer knew how to do it and do it in a way he liked, so it didn't take long for him to feel the beginning of something he knew very well. He took his cock off the mouth and saw his semen spilling over his lover's cheek and lips.

Ling Tong reached for the substance with his fingers and licked them off one by one.

_Why do I let him do this to me__...? I wonder..._

The dark-haired man sighed and got up, feeling his knees hurt for being in contact with the hard floor for too long. As soon as he stood on his feet, he felt himself dragged into a kiss. The mouth clashed over his and he felt his lips bitten several times. Gan Ning never seemed disgusted by tasting his own cum through his mouth, in fact, he seemed very eager to thrust his tongue in and taste it.

_Damn, he's a very good kisser._

Ling Tong sighed in frustration when he felt the other mouth leave his and opened his eyes. He was waiting to see a very known smirk on the blond's face, but instead he saw a contemplative expression and a deep stare.

"Come here." Gan Ning guided Ling Tong to the bed. "I still have to convince you to go with me."

"Gan Ning..." The dark-haired man stopped mid-way.

The ex-pirate stopped and then looked at him. "What?"

Ling Tong pondered on the consequences of the actions he could take. He could just receive the pleasure the other man had promised him and tell his decision later or he could be fair and tell him right away and make him less angry. The brunet looked at the other man, then looked around and decided to do a little of both. "Hey, don't stop right here." He grabbed his wrist and led him to the bed, making him lie on the mattress. He lay beside him and saw the man was still waiting for an answer, so he avoided the inquisitive gaze and licked his ear.

Gan Ning felt a shiver down his spine and then moaned deeply in contentment when he felt Ling Tong's amazing hands moving over his body, tracing the lines of his muscles. He felt a kiss on his cheek and melted into the carress. Then Gan Ning felt the long finger pull the chocker on his neck, bringing his face closer to his lover's. "What were you going to say?" he asked in a so uncharacteristically soft voice.

Ling Tong kissed him and muffed his next words, pressing his mouth to his almost desperately. Gan Ning let himself being kissed and then kissed again when their mouths parted slightly to regain their breathing. When they finally parted, Gan Ning stared directly at the dark orbs before him. "You coming with me or not?"

"Can we talk about it later?" Ling Tong reached out and took Gan Ning's length in hand.

"No." The blond warned as he gripped the wrist of the other officer to stop his action.

Ling Tong felt the pressure of the fist over his and thought the other man was being really serious. "I know you can't stay, but I will."

Gan Ning looked around and smiled nervously. "Why?" he asked after a long silence.

"It's not over, you know. The war is over but there are still a lot of things to be settled. The damaged territorries, the rebellions... Peace is not achieved automaticaly after a war is over."

"Well, there are a lot of people to help here."

"It is my duty and my wish to help my lord personally."

Gan Ning laughed.

"What?" Ling Tong arched one eyebrow.

"Sometimes I forget that you can be serious."

"Bastard..." Ling Tong hissed.

Gan Ning laughed more until he stopped and stared at the other man. He was one hell of a sight, naked, with that luscious body sprawled under his. Then he heard bells jingling and arched one eyebrow, knowing he had taken his off. He heard the bells again and looked towards the direction of the sound. There was a pair of bells hanging by the window. "You know, I guess you'll need to put them over the bed instead, when you will need them to remember me, when you're alone and have no one."

"Oh, Gan Ning, I'm not ugly. It's not like I can't find someone to sleep with me."

The man frowned. "Yeah... I guess not." He gripped the man's wrists and pinned him under his weight. "But you know that you'll never find someone as good as I am."

"Oh, you're so full of yourself."

"Can you prove me I'm wrong?"

"Hmm..." Ling Tong felt the other naked body press his, creating a distracting friction. "Can you prove you're right?"

Gan Ning smirked. He got up from the bed and rumaged through the room until he found something he could tie Ling Tong with.

The dark-haired man arched an eyebrow when he saw a leather strap and then looked up to his lover. "Do you expect me to let you tie me up?"

"Yep." Gan Ning got up on the bed and grabbed Ling Tong's wrists, putting them together before lacing them in the strap. He guided the wrists up, making the arms stretch as far as they would go and then fixed it to the headboard with the help of another leather strap.

Ling Tong lifted his head with a certain effort and eyed Gan Ning defiently. "Now what?"

The man grinned and then chuckled slightly. He kissed the side of the other officer's neck and then bit the skin slowly, applying pressure gradually. When Gan Ning felt Ling Tong wince in pain, he moved to another spot and did the same.

Even though the man's teeth bruised his skin, Ling Tong enjoyed the pain—although he would never admit it out loud. When he thought the man would only stick to that, he felt him move his lips over his shoulder and arms gently, making him shiver all over.

Gan Ning saw Ling Tong lips parting slightly and he pressed his index and middle finger there, touching the wet surface, inviting him to suck them. He felt him lick the digits languidly and then sucking gently. Gan Ning decided to mimic the action, but on the man's nipples. He heard a soft moan and continued like that before taking one of them in between his teeth, biting slowly. He scrapped the hardened surface several times and took his wet fingers from the other officer's mouth, to give attention to the other nipple with them.

Ling Tong arched his body into the touch, getting desperate for more contact.

The ex-pirate grinned lasciviously and traced his muscles with his tongue, going all the way down to the abdomen. He looked briefly at the neglected member and ignored it to move down. That made Ling Tong hiss in frustration, but he knew too well that the cruel man would torture him and tease him to no end.

Gan Ning was then near the lower part of Ling Tong's body. He carressed the length of the man's legs and them sucked the back of one knee, making the man under his control shiver with the ticklish sensation. Gan Ning licked the place and then continued up to the inside of a thigh, before moving to the other. He lifted the leg up and drove his tongue over the back side, while he brushed his fingertips to the exposed opening. He felt the muscles contracting under the touch and brushed it a few more times. Then he moved his hand to the neglected member and stroked it until it was fully erect.

Ling Tong bit his lower lip and prayed for Gan Ning not to stop because it felt so good. But when he thought that the ex-pirate would leave him in a pitful condition, a mouth came over his organ and sucked eagerly. That guideded Ling Tong to paradise. Gan Ning took the most he could into his mouth and sucked hard, before starting to move over the length and stroke with his hand what he couldn't fit.

The ex-pirate led the fingers of the other hand back to Ling Tong's entrace, teasing him, until he forced his way in slightly, letting only the fingertips penetrate him and then reatreated them to brush again at the opening. When he felt Ling Tong thrusting up and squirming too much under him, he stopped and stared at the man. He grinned, because Ling Tong was at the state he had planned in his head, the brown orbs looked at him with such intensity in their lust filled gaze.

Gan Ning slicked his fingers with saliva and inserted them in Ling Tong, until he felt him open up enough for him to stretch him.

Not being able to hold himself back anymore, Gan Ning lifted one of the man's legs up, making his thigh rest on his shoulder and positioned himself to enter Ling Tong in a long thrust. He felt the body under him squirm almost violently at the intrusion, but being contained by the leather straps at his hands. Gan Ning started to move slowly at the begginning, waiting for Ling Tong to adjust to his massive length. Then he started to thrust into him with more force, stroking him at the same rhythm. When Gan Ning felt he couldn't stop anymore, he held both of Ling Tong's thighs, before driving himself into him faster and harder. When he felt he was almost at his peak, he slowed down his moves, taking his time, watching his cock sliding in and out in amazement. But suddenly it was too hard for him to keep that slow pace and he started to thrust faster until he came hard. He slid his member over the slicked skin and smeared his seed all over.

Gan Ning felt a little dizzy for a moment and closed his eyes. He took some time to recover his senses and would have smirked if he hadn't took pity on Ling Tong's state. The brunet pleaded him with his eyes because he still couldn't voice it, though he would if Gan Ning took too long to do something.

The ex-pirate kissed his knee and thrust his fingers back again inside Ling Tong. He felt them slide in and out in his cum. Then he fisted the dark-haired man's cock until he was almost reaching his peak. When he lowered his mouth and gave a long lick at the head, he felt the man's cum splatter on his face. He eyed Ling Tong with a disaproving glance before licking his lips and driving his tongue to his cock to take the rest of the fluid. The blond then cleaned his face with his palm and licked it clean.

Ling Tong watched him in amazement while recovering from his high. Then he saw Gan Ning move over him and grab the back of his head in one hand, kissing him deeply, thrusting his tongue all over his mouth, finishing with a long lick on his cheek.

Gan Ning lay on the mattress beside him and closed his eyes.

"Hey..." Ling Tong finally said. "Untie me."

"No."

The long-haired man turned his head to the side and glared at the other man.

"I will only untie you if you change your decision."

"So the tying thing was all planned."

"Of course."

"Gan Ning... seriously, my arms are starting to feel sore."

"I want you to suffer." The man crossed his arms over his chest.

"Then fight me, don't give me cramps."

Gan Ning chuckled, but then returned to his moody behavior. After a brief silence he finally asked. "Did I prove I'm right?"

"Hmm... maybe." Ling Tong answered and suddenly felt his wrists being untied.

"Just maybe, then." Gan Ning moved closer and rested his chin on the other officer's chest, along with one arm. He looked at Ling Tong's face one last time and rested his head on the chest before closing his eyes.

xxx

The sea had its turbulent times, when the waves were high and crashed violently against the side of the ships. In other times, it was very calm and serene, waving slowly, lulling a seaman's sleep. Gan Ning was used to the instability of the blue waters.

While he walked through the land, he felt the firm surface of the earth under his feet. He saw the mountains getting far away and the hills passing by as he crossed them.

"It was all kinda interesting?"

Gan Ning looked back to see a long-haired Wu officer standing some feet away. "Are you following me?"

"Interesting is how you define the time we've been together?"

The blond warrior grinned slightly. "It rocked, baby."

Ling Tong chuckled. "You will never change." He moved closer to the man. "You know, I don't think our farewell back there was good enough."

Gan Ning felt the officer's arms wrapping around his neck and felt himself being kissed deeply. He let the warm lips move over his and Ling Tong explore his mouth as he wished. He couldn't think of any other thing to do than respond as eagerly to the kiss.

When the kiss ended he wrapped one warm around the dark-haired man's waist and started to walk slowly over the camp.

"Do you know where you're going?" Ling Tong asked.

"I don't know, the only thing I know is that I have to find a ship, a boat, whatever... then... then I'll let the waters guide me. Maybe I'll visit an island I found a long time ago. The place... was incredible. Like something lost in the world. The sand is so clear that it almost looks like it's white. And there are different trees there, huge trees. It has space for a man to live inside the hollow trunks."

"It seems like a cool place."

"And there are lots of cool places I still have to find."

Ling Tong stopped suddenly. "I hope you find them."

"Yeah..." Gan Ning scratched the back of his neck. "I know I'll find... While you'll be running errands for Sun Quan."

"Well, I'll be busy for a while."

"For a while is not forever."

"It isn't." Ling Tong put his hands on his hips and leaned his head to one side. "Well, I think I have to go back now."

"I think you're right." Gan Ning stared at him seriously. "Or I'll take you as a spoil from war."

"But I was on your side."

"Doesn't matter."

"...Whatever." Ling Tong looked down and then back up at Gan Ning's eyes. "You know, it was kinda interesting."

"Bastard." Gan Ning roamed his eyes over the dark-haired man's body before turning his back to the man and following on his way.

_It's okay to leave like this, after all, it's not a goodbye._

He walked through the camps and the hills and saw the landscape being left behind. Somewhere on the way, he found men that had been under his command. All eager to go along with him, just for the adventures, just for the feeling of being alive everyday. They had arranged a ship and started sailing with no destination. He watched the land far away, until it was just a shadow over the horizon. Once he thought that the land was a steady place, with no surprises. However, he found out that the land could shake sometimes.

_One day I'll be back__ and 'til this day I won't allow myself to die. Then I will talk to Ling Tong about my adventures day and night, until he has no patience left in him and we end up in a fierce battle... and then... then I'll make him come along with me and we'll have fun together, and I'll make fun of him when he says the winds have stopped and he will be doomed forever with me in the middle of the sea. I'll see him frown and I'll grin... Until then... _

"He will miss me..." he said softly as he sailed away.

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**So, this is the end. It's really hard for me to think that I'll have to let this story go. ****The fact that made me feel a little nervous about this chapter is...hmm the end. I mean, it had all been decided in my head that they would be apart and this is not a happy ending to a romance... It kinda made me feel sad... But hey... I kinda like drama and angst, I tried not to make it so sad though. It was a lot of fun to write it, I think it's one the fics I had more fun writing. I really like Gan Ning and Ling Tong, and in all the years I've been writing, it's the pairing I felt more comfortable with. It's just that I love humor and I love angst, and when I saw them, I thought it was a very rare thing to find a couple with lots of potential for comic scenes and tragic scenes. That's why I'm really thinking about starting a new fic about them, some kind of sequence, but I'm thinking about focusing more on the humor side, I just want to make them happy. Right now, I'm working on another DW fic. I want it to be a series of... smut. I just wanted to see some hot guys together... Some guys from Shu and one from Wei. **

**I really have to thank everyone who read and reviewed. It was really important to have so much support. ****Nan Ma, Red Queen of Spades, CarmenMCS, Megumi Kei, WolfGuardian, Guan Ping The Yaoi Boy, Tigerfussel, Xian Ke, Vyrillien, ToxicStar, Animelover6000, ShivaTheDestroyer, you're all great. **

**And, of course,**** I have to thank my beta-reader Xian Ke, who was very good to me, helping me, supporting me and talking to me. It's always good to see you writing. And I have to thank the authors who have written NingTong fics. I'm very happy when I see a new fic or an update, so I really support you all, because you make me smile a lot. Yes, I'm talking about you all. If you've written something about these two, my thanks is for you. I'd like you to know that I'm always waiting excitedly for new chapters. **

**Well, it's time to say goodbye. I hope I have time to write everything I want.**

**It was a lot of fun, see ya!**


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